Trouble
by Augustine May
Summary: Mindy's troubled counsin is spending the summer after a tragic event at home.  Mindy and Josh agree that the last thing she needs is the kind of trouble Drake would bring into her life - but can he stay away?   DrakeXOC, MindyXJosh M for SLD.
1. Chapter 1

Mindy glanced cautiously over at her cousin for the second time that morning. Kiley had been meticulously unpacking for over an hour now. She bent over and pulled a shirt from her suitcase, shook it, refolded it, and placed it in one of the drawers Mindy had cleared for her. Rinse, and repeat.

"Will you be okay while I'm at school?" Mindy queried. She was dressed, hair perfect and backpack packed for the last day of Junior year. Still, she couldn't seem to leave yet. She was too worried about Kiley, who had just arrived the night before, and would be spending the summer. The girl seemed shaken, and could barely seem to manage eye contact with Mindy and her parents.

They'd never been close, as cousins. Kiley had moved to Michigan when they were seven, and they hadn't seen one another since. Even if they had lived nearby, Mindy doubted they would have hung out much. Mindy's strengths were mental – she was cunning, witty, and excelled at school. Kiley was more of an athlete, and had been on one track team or another for most of her life. She was pretty smart, but preferred more abstract classes like English and Art, while Mindy liked the hard facts of science and math.

"I'll be fine." Kiley answered quietly, looking up from a blue t-shirt. Her dark hair tumbled in messy curls around her shoulders, partially shielding her face from Mindy's gaze. "It's just a few hours. Besides, I might stop over and take a look at the track."

Mindy nodded slowly. "Okay. You think you'll do a lot of running this summer? I mean, it might be nice to take a few months off, enjoy California while you're here."

Kiley sighed. Mindy was nice, but she was getting sick of all this effort to make her more 'comfortable'. She was still shaken from everything that had happened in the last week, and the thought of something as familiar as a track was more appealing than Mindy could ever know. "I can't take breaks. I'd like to get a track scholarship, and that will only happen if I'm primed and ready for next season. It sucks enough that I won't be able to practice with my friends." Not that she had many friends left, after the past six months. But Mindy didn't need to know that.

"Alright." Mindy sighed. Kiley was impossible – she'd forgotten how stubborn she was. "Well, I've got to drive over to school. Do you want to come with, so you can check things out?"

Kiley took a last glance at the clothes in the suitcase and spread on the futon that was now her bed. Packing could wait until later, and it might be nice to go for a run. "Sure." She answered, offering a small smile. "Just let me get something decent on."

Drake closed his eyes and moaned in agony. "_Why_ are we bringing Mindy to Lou Fitzbaum's party?"

Josh sighed. They'd been over this three times already. "Because. You want me there to see your band play, and I want to celebrate the end of Junior year with Mindy. So, Mindy comes to Lou Fitzbaum's party."

Drake banged his head against Josh's locker. "But Mindy doesn't even _like_ parties. Is she going to call the cops if there's a keg, or something?"

"No." Josh looked around the hall. It was almost time for homeroom to begin, and he still hadn't seen Mindy. Normally, she met him at the front door, but today he'd made it all the way to his locker without seeing her. Could she be _late_?

Drake looked at his brother. "Are _you _going to call the cops if there's a keg? I mean, I know you're my brother, but this is my first party gig, and there are going to be some college kids there, and I will _kill_ you if you mess this up for me."

Josh looked back at Drake, who was now standing upright, and looking quite concerned. "No, Drake. No one is going to call the cops. Will you just relax? You've played bigger gigs than this."

"Maybe," Drake answered, "But this time, there will be college girls there. Tons and tons of trashed, trashy college girls just dying to show me their skills."

Before he could elaborate, Mindy popped up beside Josh's elbow, giving him a fright. After a short surprised yelp he pecked her on the cheek, then looked at her, puzzled.

"Why are you so late? You've never gotten here after me."

Mindy's eyes widened in disbelief. "My cousin got in last night – did you forget? I know I told you she'd be spending the summer with us."

Josh's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, God, I'm sorry. You mean the one whose – " Mindy slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Josh!" She cried in horror, looking around at the busy hall. "Kiley's situation is really personal, and private. Plus, she's coming to the party with me tonight. I don't think she'd appreciate half the school knowing her situation."

Drake threw his hands to the heavens in dismay. "Freakin' awesome. My first real college party, and Crenshaw and Cousin will be there."

Mindy took a few steps toward him, pointing a perfectly manicured, sharp-ended finger in his face. "You would do well to stay away from her, Drake. The last thing she needs is a guy like you in her life."

Drake laughed, pushing the pointy finger aside. "Please. If she's anything like you, I'll be running in the other direction."

Josh started to say something, anything to keep the peace, but before the words could form in his mouth the bell rang, and the two split off angrily. He sighed, gathered his books, and headed to homeroom.

Kiley regarded the turquoise water with a mild curiosity. Her school back in St. Joseph was small – they didn't have their own swimming pool. Hell, they barely had a decent track. She'd already done a few laps around the school's track, and was thinking a quick swim would be a lovely idea about now. She'd thought running would clear the thoughts from her head, but it didn't work. She could put a million miles behind her and be no further from her problems – how could her mother not see that?

_Because she's not worried about me._ She answered herself. All this distance, the therapy – it was all for show. Anything to keep Brenda Crenshaw from looking bad to her friends and colleagues. St. Joe was small, and people were already talking. By the time school started next year, the whole town would know about the miserable year, and all the horrors it had contained for Kiley.

She wanted it to go away. She stared at the water, and dreamt of the days when she was little. She and Mindy would go to the local pool, and pretend they were mermaids. Deep underwater, they spoke a language only they could understand. They sang with the dolphins, the whales, and left the issues of houses and homelives on some distant shore. She missed the whooshing of the water in her ears, the belief that there was really somewhere she could go to get away from her troubles, instead of carrying them inside of her.

Without thought, she stripped off her shoes, her socks, her shorts and T-shirt. She gulped in one last breath, and plunged in.

She'd only done three laps in the water when she heard the double doors open, and a gaggle of loud teenagers pulsed in. Poking her head up from beneath the crystal waves, she saw the school's fifth period gym class meandering in. Her cheeks blushed scarlet as she hoisted herself out of the water, grabbed her things and scurried into the locker room. She didn't look behind her to see the girls who gawked, or the boys who stared mistily after the perfect figure, soaking wet and scantily clad.


	2. Chapter 2

"So." Mindy glanced over at Kiley again. "You're really going to wear that?" It was seven PM, almost time to head over to Lou's house. Kiley had just showered, and her recently-moussed curls cascaded down her back in a way that was rather breathtaking. Mindy could see the gold and red highlights in the brown, and again she puzzled at how such a nice, gorgeous girl had landed herself in such an awful predicament.

Kiley sighed. She could tell already it would be a rough summer. She didn't really want to go to a party where most of Mindy's fellow students would be, especially after half of them had seen her little performance in the pool that morning. She didn't have much of a choice, though – her aunt and uncle were going out, and refused to leave her at the house alone. As if she would run away, or kill herself, or something. Still, it seemed silly to dress up for a party where everyone would just get drunk and puke on themselves anyway.

"Why don't you wear…."Mindy busied herself in Kiley's now-full drawers, opening and closing them as she rifled through the neatly arranged items. "This. And…." She tossed a jean skirt at Kiley, and continued to rifle through clothes. "….This!" Triumphant, she held up a three-quarter-sleeve black v-neck.

"Sure." Kiley shrugged and changed into the clothes. The skirt was a cut off and pretty short, but the long sleeves of the shirt balanced it out. She threw on a pair of wedge sandals, and followed Mindy to her car.

"Do you have a car back home?" Mindy asked amiably as the two got in. Mindy's car smelled faintly minty, which Kiley found disturbing.

"Uhm. No." Kiley answered. She tried to keep her focus straight ahead, rather than at Mindy, whose prying eyes seemed to bore into her scull at times. "Everything in St. Joe is close enough to walk to, almost. Or, at least, everything worth seeing."

Mindy frowned. "I thought you lived in St. Joseph, not St. Joe."

Kiley watched a few kids whizz by on bicycles. "It's the same place. We call it St. Joe for short, just like you might call someone named Joseph Joe." She held in a sigh. She missed home – the lake, the coffee shops, the street art – hell, she even missed the tourists. San Diego was nice, but there was no place like St. Joe.

Mindy nodded, and stole another glance at Kiley. She still couldn't seem to meet anyone's eyes – just kept focused on the road, the trees, the kids outside playing in the setting summer sun. Finally, Mindy cleared her throat.

"You know, Kiley, you can talk to me. I know it's been a while, and we haven't been the closest, but if you need to….if you want to talk about it. I'm here."

Kiley felt a bulge in her throat. Her cousin was sweet, but all the talking in the world wouldn't make the past year go away. Her heart still raced when her phone vibrated, her hands shook when she checked her text messages. When she looked in the mirror, the hazel eyes that stared back were ringed with purple, their gaze unsteady. She looked haunted. She was still so confused, and this quick cover-up wasn't fixing anything. The thought of what waited for her in Michigan weighed heavily on her.

Kily glanced over at Mindy. "Some day." She answered quietly. "When I'm ready."

Lou's party was already in full swing when the two arrived. As Kiley had suspected, they were overdressed – but not as overdressed as she'd thought. Guys wandered around in unbuttoned dress shirts and hundred-dollar-jeans, while girls wore name-brand skirts and real diamonds. It was a high school kegger for the rich and famous.

Mindy found Josh quickly, and pulled him over to Kiley. The kitchen was crowded, but the three managed to stand in a small triangle. "Josh, this is Kiley. Kiley, this is my boyfriend Josh."

Kiley shook Josh's clammy hand. He seemed nervous, and his large blue eyes darted between the two girls quickly. Kiley couldn't help but laugh to herself.

"Do you want to meet my brother Drake?" Josh queried. "He'll be playing with his band tonight. He's a really good guitarist."

Mindy shook her head, then turned to Kiley. "You don't want to meet Drake. He's this total player, and he's completely full of himself, and-"

Surprising both of them, Kiley spoke up. "Mindy. I'm not dumb. I'm not going to just fall for some guy because everyone around here thinks he's sooooo hot, or whatever. I know my mom probably told you and your mom a lot about my poor choices in the last year, but _believe me _– the last thing in the world I'm going to do is hook up with some self-important dildo. You've got a better chance of me asking for a hit off that guy's roach over there." She nodded in the direction of a few guys passing a suspiciously shaped cigarette between themselves.

Mindy's mouth fell open. For the first time in quite a while, she was completely speechless. She looked at Josh, who was smiling slightly.

"Right. As I was going to say, Mindy – your cousin's not dumb. And I'm pretty sure Drake has a girlfriend this week, anyway." He wandered off in search of his brother.

Mindy turned to Kiley. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, but this guy – "

Kiley shook her head, cutting her off again. "Would you stop, Mindy? Just stop. I'm not fragile, I'm not broken, and I don't need or want you to baby me all summer. I know what charmers are like, but my heart is so torn up, there isn't room for any guy – however charming, however sweet – to worm his way in. So stop worrying about me, and let's just enjoy the summer, okay?"

Mindy gazed into her cousin's eyes. Beneath the anger was a pain she couldn't even begin to comprehend, and a story that they both knew had started long before last year. There was plenty of time to uncover that story – for now, she'd just have to settle with getting to know her cousin all over again.

"Okay. Hey, look – here comes Josh…and he's Drake-less." She watched as her boyfriend approached them, already sweating a little.

"I can't seem to find Drake here anywhere. They don't play for another hour – maybe he's outside near the pool? I heard there's a hot tub somewhere…"

Mindy shook her head. "Don't worry about it; they have all summer to meet." She turned to Kiley. "Will you be okay if we dance?"

Kiley rolled her eyes and put one hand on Mindy, the other on Josh. "Go. Enjoy yourselves. I'm going to get a drink." They didn't need much more urging. Once they were safely out of sight, she wandered over to the keg. _God, _did she need a beer.

"Can I get you a drink?" She gazed up into a set of dark eyes fringed by messy auburn hair. The guy addressing her was well dressed, but thrown together sloppily enough to make it look as though he hadn't spent hours picking the outfit out – tricky. Kiley began to wonder if everyone in San Diego was so fake.

"No thanks. I'm perfectly capable of getting myself one." She took a red cup and poured her beer, not spilling a drop. Drake watched silently, surveying her. She was gorgeous – well-toned bronze legs, an even, muscular build throughout her body – a little flatter in the chest department than he liked, but there was still a decent handful there. Her pouty little mouth was downturned and plump, and he just knew those lips had to be the softest, most delicious kiss he'd ever tasted.

"Well then, can I offer you a dance? Or, I could write you a song…an album. Hell, I'll dedicate my whole music career to you." This wasn't his ordinary game, but she wasn't an ordinary-looking girl. Plus, a lot of girls loved the strong come-on….then all you had to do was back off a little, and they came running at you.

This girl, though, just laughed at him. "What're you going to call it? 'To the girl I met five minutes ago, and won't stop flirting with because I'm a pretentious dillhole'?"

_Ouch_. Okay, so she wasn't into strong come-ons. "How about 'To the girl I thought was really cute, until she shot my manhood with her shrewish, angry words'?"

Kiley laughed. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all. She took a sip of her beer and smiled. "Or, you could title it 'To the girl who taught me how to use my vocabulary wittily'."

Drake leaned forward. "Or, 'To the girl with the prettiest smile I've ever seen'."

_Ugh_. Kiley rolled her eyes. "You know, kid, you've gotta get better at this. Stop spitting your goddam game at me – I'm not interested. You'd have more luck getting any of the girls at this party," she gestured wildly at the girls who swayed and shimmied around her, "Than you would me. I'm not…I'm not free."

Boyfriend? Well, that wasn't a problem he'd had trouble with before. Drake took a long gulp of his beer. "And what if you're the only girl here I want?"

She laughed quietly and looked at him, really _looked _at him for the first time that night. "You don't want me." She said into his eyes. "I'm trouble."

Drake folded his arms across the top of the keg and leaned in toward her. "Yeah? Well, that makes two of us."

Her response was cut off with a name being called, and he slapped his beer down. "Well, I guess I'm off – I've got a show to perform. See you later, Trouble." He sprinted away, dodging through people until he completely disappeared.

Kiley stared after him for a moment before she turned back to her beer, finished it, then refilled it. Yup. Another boy was the last thing she needed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Nope. There is no way the hot chick from Lou's party is Mindy Crenshaw's cousin. I would've seen the cooties." Drake lay on his bed, absent-mindedly strumming his guitar. He and Josh had been going rounds about the girl he'd spoken to at the party for almost a week now. As the weekend approached, Drake found himself hoping he'd bump into her again at another weekend party.

Josh smiled patiently. "You'll see. In fact, you _would've_ seen, if you met me after the set like you promised."

Drake sighed. It seemed like they'd been over this a thousand times. "Josh, I've already explained this to you. I was helping Jenna with a wardrobe malfunction." A wry smile played on his lips.

Josh snorted incredulously. "Please. The only malfunction with Jenna's wardrobe was its inability to cover her."

"Don't I know it." Drake called in a sing-song voice, his eyes dreamy.

"You know," Josh got off his bed and walked toward the couch, turning on the Gamesphere, "When you find the right girl, you won't want her to dress like that everywhere she goes. I know I wouldn't want Mindy walking around, showing her goods to everyone."

Drake, who had been climbing down from his bed, frowned. "I wouldn't want Mindy showing her goods to everyone, either. _Gross._"

"The point is," Josh continued, ignoring his brother's childish faces, "Someday you're gonna meet someone who flips your world over. And you won't want anyone else to look at her the way you do. Those kinds of clothes will drive you nuts, because every guy will be staring, making love to her with their eyes…and you'll want to kill them all."

Drake picked up a controller and shook his head. "Nope. I'm not in high school to find love, Josh – I'm just having fun. The shorter the skirt, the less I have to work to get a hand up it."

Josh grabbed his controller, and the game began. "We'll see. You seemed pretty moved after your conversation with Ki- I mean, the girl from Lou's party."

Drake shrugged. "That's because she was a challenge. You should have seen the look in her eyes – like she was daring me to win her over. And that mouth. I'm telling you…best lips ever. It's like when you see a game, and you know you need to buy it. I need to kiss those lips, just once."

Josh shook his head. "You're sick. And you're losing."

Drake looked to the game, where Josh was, indeed, pulverizing him. "Oh, you just wait. I'll get you."

"How 'bout we make this interesting. Mindy has one of those country club cocktail party things this weekend." Josh began.

Drake shook his head. "I'm not going as Cousin It's date."

Despite himself, Josh laughed. "I never asked you to be her date. Besides, what makes you think she's into you? I'll have you know, Kiley isn't looking for a boyfriend. She just got out of a fairly serious relationship."

Drake rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. How're we making this interesting, then?"

"If I win, you give us a lift to the party, _and_ you'll be there, on time, to pick us up." Josh smiled.

"Why? You gonna take Mindy to Make Out Point afterward and get your groove on?" Drake shuddered at the thought.

"No," Josh shook his head. "But I do want to take her out for coffee. It'll be late, but there's a diner that's open all night, and has the best coffee and pie. Mindy wants to discuss our relationship, and I think that would be the best time to do it."

"What do I get if I win?" Drake asked. He was a little fearful at this point – the race was almost over, and he was still a lap behind. He'd used most of his turbo boosters during the spider stampede, and was almost out of tricks.

"You get the car all of Friday night, and don't have to worry about dropping us off or picking us up." Josh answered confidently.

"And what exactly are you and Mindy going to discuss? You think she's going to dump you?" Drake tried to hit his last turbo boost, but nothing happened.

"No. That's not the only reason girls want to 'discuss our relationship', Drake." Josh couldn't help the smile on his face.

"Well, what else is there?" Drake hit another button. Nothing happened. Josh was less than a quarter mile from the finish, and Drake still had a lap left.

"I think she wants to go all the way." Josh said simply, hiding the inner joy he felt. He eased through the finish line as Drake dropped his controller.

"For real? You're going to pound Mindy Crenshaw?" Drake's mind filled with a mix of disgust, jealousy, and joy. Mindy was gross, and he wished he'd be getting some tail this weekend…but he knew this would be Josh's first time, and beneath everything, he _was _happy for his brother.

"Not pound," Josh corrected, setting his controller on the coffee table. "Make love. And I'm not even sure, it's just…she's been hinting at it for a while now. And, she's been looking into birth control."

Drake nodded. "If she's on the pill, it's pretty much a sure thing. Carly tried to give me that 'it's for bad cramps' story, but less than a week after she went on it – bam. She was all over me." The boys rarely talked about Carly – it was one of Drake's few serious relationships, and it hadn't ended well. She was the first girl he'd been completely honest with, and the last one he would have expected to cheat in him.

Josh was not sure what to say, she he opted to swing the conversation back to Mindy. "You really think she'd be ready? I mean, no offense, but Mindy isn't exactly like the girls you date."

Drake laughed. "_Believe _me, I'm not offended. Here." He walked to his dresser, opened the top drawer and pulled something out. Returning, he slapped three wrapped condoms into Josh's hand. "If you're going to do it, at least make sure Satan doesn't go around procreating."

Josh stared at the foil squares in his hand. He and Mindy had been dating for almost a year now. He loved her, and he loved how they were together. Throughout their time together, he found himself becoming more assertive, and more confident. It only seemed fitting that she would be the one he lost his virginity to – his first real relationship, his first love, and the first one he would make love to. A huge part of him hoped, though, that she would also be the last.

"Wow." He said quietly. He looked up at Drake and smiled. "Who ever thought I'd be taking condoms from Drake Parker's personal stash?"

Drake chuckled. "Yeah, well, it's been a while since I got lucky. Maybe you can find me a hottie at the cocktail party, since I'll be chauffeuring your butt all over the damn place."

Josh smiled. In his excitement over his and Mindy's weekend, he'd completely forgotten about winning the video game, and thus the bet. His smile waned when he realized that the one girl he would've fixed Drake up with was off-limits. "I'd introduce you to Kiley, but you have to swear not to go after her. Mindy'll kill me if she winds up hooking up with anyone this summer."

Drake rolled his eyes. "For the love of God, man, I am _not _interested in the Crenshaw Cousin." He couldn't help but be curious, though, about something Josh had said. "While we're at it, though, why is Mindy so stressed about Cousin It not dating anyone?"

Josh sighed. "I'm not supposed to say anything." Drake gave him a look, and he caved. "Fine. She was in a bad relationship, back in Michigan. I actually don't know much of the details, just that when it ended there were cops involved, and now there's a restraining order, and her mom sent her here to take her mind off everything. Mindy's just trying to protect her…whatever happened to her was pretty bad, and I guess she's been in trouble before."

Drake grimaced. "Sounds like a head case. Guess it runs in the family, eh?" He smirked, but Josh's expression remained flat.

Mindy sat on her bed, staring at Kiley. The girl had been mumbling in her sleep all night. This morning, though, the mumbling had taken a turn for the worse. There was some sort of half-stated, incoherent conversation happening between Kiley and her pillow. The words were unintelligible, but her voice was earnest, pleading, and slowly breaking Mindy's heart. Mindy didn't know if she should wake her, and risk embarrassing her, or let things go and let her be tormented.

She had just gotten up to wake her cousin when her mother burst into the room. "Good morning, girls!" She chirped, eerily happy.

Kiley burst from her bedcovers, her hair all a-tumble, her tank top twisted almost sideways. She glanced up to see her aunt in the doorway, already dressed. "Morning, Aunt Melinda." She tried to hide the fact that she was breathing heavily. She'd almost been at Mindy's a week, and still, she was having the nightmares. Wasn't this shit ever going to end?

"I was thinking today maybe we'd go to the mall. Kiley, I'm sure you could use a few summer things?" Melinda smiled politely. She wasn't really sure what to make of her niece, or what to do with her. If Brenda had any real family of her own, Kiley wouldn't even be here, but Brenda's parents lived in the same town, and she had no siblings. She had to rely on her ex-husband's family to take care of her daughter.

No _wonder_ the poor girl was so messed up.

Kiley shrugged. "I'm pretty okay with what I have. I mean, it's just the summer…"

Melinda shook her head. "Nonsense! I was going to take Mindy to get some new things, and your mother just sent up a bit of cash to get you a few new things. Come on – a new dress? New shoes? With all the parties you and Mindy will be attending, _surely _there's something you'll be needing."

Kiley squinted. It was way too early for this. "Parties?"

Mindy nodded emphatically. "Well, yes. Our country club hosts a number of banquets. Typically I take Josh – you don't _need _a date – "

_Damn right I don't._ Kiley thought to herself. She glanced up at her aunt, afraid she might have somehow heard her thoughts.

"But there are a number of nice young men who could take you. Or, who you might meet there." Melinda offered. Kiley looked at the two of them, and realized that resistance would be futile.

"I guess I need dresses, then."

"Great!" Melinda clapped her hands with a joy she didn't feel. Why was her sister-in-law's kid such a pain in the ass? "Just wash up, get some breakfast in you, and we'll get going."

"Oh, you have to try this one on, too!" Mindy pulled a dress off the rack in Kiley's size and handed it over. Kiley glanced dubiously at the stiff satin. When she wore dresses – and that was a rare case in itself – she felt the best in easy, cotton sundresses. She hadn't realized that the types of parties this side of the Crenshaw family attended so regularly were so formal.

"Okay." Kiley folded it over her arm, which was now weighed down by four other stiff, satiny dresses. Mindy carried her own load of dresses, while Melinda looked on, smiling tightly.

"I think this is good. I'll just go try them all on." Kiley disappeared quickly into the dressing room. The first dress she tried on was sleeveless with thick, inch-wide straps. The square neckline showed off her collarbone and just enough of her barely-there cleavage, and the sage green set off the bronze of her skin. The dress stopped abruptly a few inches above her knee, and hugged her curves closely. A black belt with a small, silver buckle pulled it in at the waist, accentuating her figure.

She hated that her shoulders showed, and that the low back of the dress revealed much of what she would rather keep covered. Maybe if she could find a black shrug. Surely Aunt Melinda would appreciate the modesty of that, right?

She shook her head. All of this was overwhelming. In the car, Mindy had explained that the first cocktail party was this weekend – two days away. How was she going to get through this? She wasn't the kind of girl Mindy was; she couldn't do cocktail parties and easy chatter about nothing. She didn't want a date, but she didn't want to be alone either.

_I miss him._ For the first time in two weeks, she allowed herself to think of the crystal blue eyes, the long, shaggy black hair. The way his hand always seemed to be on her shoulder or the small of her back.

_"I love you, Kiles."_ He'd whisper, so close that the hair on her neck would stand up. He always smelled the same, like Drakkar Noir. She even had a small bottle of the cologne, probably still in her bedroom, that she had been planning on giving to him for his birthday in September. She'd found it on sale somewhere and scooped it up. Now, though, her mom had probably thrown it away.

What else would be gone when she came home? The dried roses, probably, his old hoodie that she kept draped over a chair and wore everywhere. The necklace he'd gotten her for Christmas, the earrings from her last birthday – it was all probably long gone by now, if she knew her mom. As if by throwing out his memories, she could extinguish him altogether.

_It's not that easy._ Kiley thought as she slipped the green dress on and pulled on a pinkish-orange monstrosity. It draped over one shoulder, leaving the other bare. It wasn't the same stiff material, but a different, gauzy sort of fabric. It hung uneven at her knees, one side dipping sharply while the other rose up, revealing a bit of thigh. She was surprised to find that the bunching of the material served to flatter her figure, rather than make her look large as she'd originally thought, and the color complimented her naturally bronze skin.

A knock at the door. "Kiley? Are you dressed?" It was Mindy. Kiley turned quickly in the mirror, checking her back, and, satisfied at it and her shoulder being sufficiently covered by her hair, opened the door.

"_Wow._" Mindy gasped. She, too, was still in her formal wear – a powder-blue empire-waist gown that fell neatly to her knees. The color complimented her eyes, though the capped sleeves made her arms seems a bit spindly.

"I like yours. Your eyes look so pretty." Kiley offered, figuring a compliment was the best answer to a compliment.

"Well, Kiley, we'll certainly have to get that one." Offered Melinda, who sat on a bench a stone's toss away. "You look fabulous. You too, Mindy." She turned again to Kiley. "Have you tried the gold dress on? It's a little wild, but with your figure you can wear just about anything, and the color fits your skin tone so well."

Kiley paused. "No, I guess I'll go try it on. The green one looks nice too, I just think I'll need a jacket – I tend to chill easily."

Melinda nodded. "I'll go look for a black shrug, and maybe a brown or bronze to go with the gold dress. Try that one on next – I'd really like to see it."

Dutifully, Kiley slipped back into the dressing room. There were three dresses left. The bottom was the gold one – a strapless dress made from the same stiff, satiny material as the green one. She slipped it on, surprised that her aunt had picked out something so short – it stopped mid-thigh. It was also quite clingy, and made her small breasts bulge at the tightly fitted top. She arranged her hair again, trying to fit it over her shoulders in a casual-yet-concealing sort of way. Hopefully, her aunt would be too distracted to look closely.

When she stepped out, Mindy was waiting in yet another dress. This one was a soft lavender, and cut similarly to the green dress Kiley had tried, but with a softer neckline. Again, her eyes grew huge at the sight of Kiley.

"You look like a rock star! This would be perfect for the cocktail Friday night – the rest of the parties are a little formal for something so flashy, but this will _definitely_ get you noticed." She bubbled.

"Yeah," Kiley shifted self-consciously. "I want a shrug for it, though, if we can – I feel almost naked."

"Something like this?" Melinda popped up behind her, holding a brown satin shrug with three-quarters length sleeves. "The length of the sleeves makes it more modest. Mindy did the same thing for you the other night with your black shirt and jean skirt."

Kiley pulled the shrug on carefully. "Family trick, I guess." She adjusted it, then took a step back. "Better?"

Melinda smiled. "It's fabulous. Go try the other two dresses on, and then we'll head over to the casual department…maybe the shoe department, too. "

Kiley obeyed again. By the time the day was through she had four new dresses, three new pairs of shorts, more shirts than she cared to remember, and four pair of shoes. She knew her mother could not have possibly afforded all of it, but judging from the way her aunt spent money, it wasn't really much of an issue.

She fell on her bed, exhausted. In a moment, she would get her shorts and hoodie on and go for a jog, maybe even jog to the school or the local pool so she could swim. And, of course, this would all be conveniently during dinner time, so she could avoid the foreign practice of sitting down for a family meal. It wasn't Melinda or Mindy that bothered her, so much as it was her uncle. It had been years since she'd lived with a man in the house, and his presence confused and irritated her. She felt bad; in the house he was her closest relative, and probably the only one who really wanted her around.

Deciding she'd had enough thinking for one day, she got up and changed. In a flash she was out the door, ready to run as far from her thoughts as her legs would take her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** My apologies for the spacing issues in the past 3 chapters. I'm new to the uploading system, but I believe I have all the kinks worked out now. Read, enjoy, and reviews/criticisms are always appreciated.

"So, tonight's the night." Mindy hurried into her room, locking the door behind her. It wasn't even night yet, really – the hall clock had just rung three o' clock. The party would begin at five thirty, though, leaving the girls with merely – gasp! – two hours to get ready.

"Yeah, I guess." Kiley still didn't quite get her cousin's enthusiasm. From what she could glean, the party would just be a bunch of rich people like her aunt and uncle, and their spoiled children wandering around the country club, eating cocktail weenies and drinking highballs. Shirley Temples for the kids.

Though, she could probably sneak a drink, if she got lucky. Either way, Josh would be all dressed up, and apparently his conceited brother would be there (that was the guy who hit on her by the keg, right? Josh said he was going to perform, and he was _definitely _the one on stage) to take them to the party, and bring them back.

"Well, Josh and I are going out for coffee afterward. You're welcome to come, but…" Mindy trailed off as she sifted through her dresses. Which would be best for tonight? She couldn't choose.

"But…?" Kiley asked curiously. Checking to make sure Mindy wasn't looking, she quickly stripped off her clothes and pulled on the gold dress. Her hair was already assembled in lose corkscrews that cascaded down her back. It wasn't much different from how she normally wore her hair, just neater, glossier.

"I need to talk to Josh privately. And Drake will be there, so I'd need you to keep him occupied. Which is something I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I'm sure if I give you a yo-yo or a tic tac, you can keep him busy for hours." She turned to Kiley, holding up two dresses. "Which one of these says 'I want to lose my virginity to you'?"

Kiley was taken aback. Mindy seemed the type to go all-out and sign an abstinence pledge, not the type to lose it in the back seat of her boyfriend's station wagon. "Um….the pink one." She indicated a soft pink dress with flowy skirt. The straps were made of little pink rosettes, all marching one by one across her collarbone and down her back. The same rosettes line the empire waist of the dress.

"You think? I mean, it's kind of….innocent." Mindy held the dress against her body. She wasn't sure tonight would be _the _night, but her parents were leaving on a trip for the weekend directly after the cocktail party, so the house would be empty – except for Kiley. If there was no way to ditch her cousin, she could live with waiting another week or two. She couldn't lie, though – she wanted it to be tonight.

"That's the beauty of it. You love Josh, right?" Kiley toyed with a curl that was dangling in her face, pulling it down and watching it spring back into place, bouncing jauntily in her peripheral vision.

"Well, yes. A lot, actually." Mindy answered tentatively.

"Well then, you don't need to be sexy or seductive, or to look for something slutty. If you're going to view sex as an expression of love, then approach it the same way. You don't want him to be poppin' a boner right there in the middle of the cocktail party, right?"

Mindy was appalled at her cousin's language, and the ease with which she spoke about the topic. She didn't say anything, though, and just nodded. This was all pretty good information, so far.

"Well, then, save the sexy for later. Wear something he'll think you look beautiful in. Wear make-up that makes you feel like a movie star, and wear a sexy little thong or something underneath. So, at the party he's all 'She's so pretty', and when he gets you back to wherever, alone, he'll be all 'she's a sex goddess'."

Mindy fell on her bed, grinning. "Kiley, why are you so good at this? You're like a shrink, or something."

Kiley leaned into the floor-length mirror to do her eyeliner. "Pssht. You can't _be _a shrink if you _have _a shrink." She thought disdainfully of Dr. Wessler, who saw her every Tuesday.

Mindy stood up, stripping off her clothes to put the dress on. "How's that going, anyway?" She played with her hair, trying to decide between putting it up and keeping it down.

Kiley shrugged. "Exactly how I thought it would go. She keeps asking questions, I keep giving dumb answers. Shrinks only help if there's something to talk about; I don't really want to talk about anything. Plus, she always wants to play these weird games, and I can tell she's trying to read through the lines. I hate being analyzed." She reached for her lipstick – a bright red that stood out against her skin and brought attention to the cupid's-bow shape of her mouth.

Mindy's approach to make-up was softer and more subtle, much like the contrast of her muted pink dress to Kiley's bright gold. Her cousin, she could tell, what more experienced, more hardened, and probably more fun than she was. She remembered back when they were kids, Kiley was all about adventures – she was the one climbing up trees, jumping from shed rooftops, chasing butterflies. Mindy was happy just to study something and understand it, but Kiley had to be a part of it. Now, though, she seemed lifeless, as though all the adventure had been sucked out of her. The shell that remained had a dry, sarcastic laugh that seemed to mock the loud, raucous laughter which echoed in Mindy's memories.

"So, if you give Josh your cherry tonight, where the hell am I supposed to go?" Kiley asked finally. She'd been dreading the weekend – not only the party, but her aunt and uncle would be gone, too. While it seemed nice to have the house all to themselves, Mindy didn't work weekends, and Kiley wasn't supposed to be working at all. Basically it would just be the two of them, trying not to feel awkward and failing miserably.

Mindy grimaced. "I wasn't sure of that. Maybe if you meet a group of people at the cocktail, you can go to the after-party?"

Kiley just looked at her cousin. "You and I both know the chances of me meeting people –and liking them – is about nil. So, cocktail party ends at eleven, right? You and Josh meet for coffee, you come back here. He's going to want to spend the night after your love session, and I'm _not _about to sleep here with the two of you in your bed. And you're not going to go do it in your parents' room or the guest room, because your mom would notice something amiss. So. Where am I sleeping tonight?"

Mindy sighed. Kiley was right – there was just no way they could work this all out. "Okay, so Josh and I will wait. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to spend the night together."

Kiley rolled her eyes. "Mindy, you're not hearing me. I'm not saying I need you to wait. I really just need to know – where am I staying? Do these after parties go all night? Is there enough coffee in this town to keep me caffeinated for a night? Because I can just come back here at nine tomorrow morning and sleep. I assume you'll be making pancakes by then?"

Mindy nodded. "Yeah, we'd be awake – and dressed. And most of the after parties do go all night – and the diner's open all night, and the coffee is 50 cents for an endless cup. So you'd be set, pretty much."

Kiley nodded. "Alright, then. Promise you'll use protection?"

Mindy ran over to her cousin and hugged her. "Thank you _so much _for doing this. I know it's so weird being in a new town, and the last thing you want to do is bum around town all night, but this means so much to me and I promise you, I'm going to pay you back for it."

Kiley shook her head. "It's fine. I'm going to arrive with your folks, though – I think I'd like to avoid you and Josh for as long as possible, now that I know what you'll be doing tonight."

Mindy laughed. "Understood. And Kiley?"

"Hm?"

She smiled broadly, showing all of her brilliant white teeth. "Thanks again."

_Why am I here again?_ Kiley circled the room for what had to be the fifteenth time. It wasn't even ten o 'clock yet, and she was already ready to kill herself. The main room was littered with adults and catering staff, who continued to circle the room with strange appetizers, most of which involved shellfish or some form of spinach, and cocktails. She'd tried already to get a martini, but had gotten carded.

A room to the side had a DJ and a dance floor, and most of the attendees her age were in there, grinding against one another in the dim light and sweaty heat. Josh and Mindy had disappeared, and she guessed that they were already talking about plans for tonight, though Mindy had wanted to wait until the diner. Plans like that never seemed to go play for play.

Her aunt and uncle would be leaving soon. They and a group of friends were going to a resort for the weekend. They would be taking a limo, so of course, they were both completely trashed. Well, not trashed, but drunk however classy people described it. She hadn't seen them in an hour or so, but she knew they weren't leaving until around ten, and that they would be saying goodbye to both her and Mindy before they left.

"I'll take one." She said to a passing caterer carrying a tray of glasses of white wine. The room was hot, but she couldn't take her shrug off, and she wanted something – anything – to take her mind of the boredom, the heat, and the eyes that stared. Mindy had insisted that it was just the dress, but she felt like everyone could see through that, could see what she was hiding. Maybe her aunt had said something. Maybe Mindy had.

The caterer looked at her. He was young, skinny, and quite dopey looking. He glanced at his tray full of liquor, and then back at her. She glared hard, daring him to card her, and he lowered the tray for her to help herself.

"Thanks, love." She smiled, taking a sip. The wine almost had a citrusy taste, with a smokey undertone. "Not bad." She mumbled, and sauntered across the room.

She was standing near the archway that led to the dance room when Melinda accosted her.

" Kylie! Are you enjoying yourself?" Startled, she looked for a place to set her wine. A table stood against the wall, topped with expensive flowers, and she set it there.

"Uhm, yeah. Yes. It's a lovely party." She smiled tightly, and Melinda draped an arm over her.

"Have you danced with any boys?" Her uncle was now approaching as well, and seemed just as tipsy as Melinda.

"Just a few." She answered. This, at least, was true. A few boys had asked her to dance, and she had agreed. It wasn't like she felt a connection with any of them, but one boy – Roger? – had invited her to a party back at his place after the cocktail, so at least she had a place to go.

"Well, we're about to hit the road with the rest of them. Is Mindy in there?" Melinda indicated the dance room.

"Yeah." Kylie answered. Her uncle was just _staring _at her, quite blatantly, and she had no idea what she should – or could - do about it. Melinda had disappeared into the dance room, and her uncle continued staring stupidly.

"So. I'm pretty toasted." He said, chuckling. She nodded, reached behind herself, and took another sip of her wine.

"Yeah. Yeah, you are." She said. She peeking into the dance room and, not seeing her aunt or Mindy yet, continued with her drink.

When at last Mindy and Melinda approached, she set the wine on the table again. Mindy saw the action and shot her a glare, but she simply shrugged. It's not like she'd been drinking in front of her aunt. Besides, what the hell else was she supposed to do?

"Well, I guess we're off. You girls be good while we're gone. We'll be back…" Melinda trailed off. "Monday morning!" She glanced at Kiley. "Sweetheart, aren't you warm in that shrug? It's so hot."

Kiley shook her head. "No, really, I'm fine."

Melinda put a hand firmly on the shrug. "I know you said you felt the dress was scandalous without the shrug, but almost all the adults are leaving now and it's just you kids. No one will think you're tacky." She began to pull at the shrug, easing it over Kiley's shoulders.

"Really, it's fine." Kiley argued, trying to keep the shrug on. Melinda was strong, though, and kept stubbornly pulling until the shrug had slid off.

When she saw Kiley's back, she gasped. Mindy, who had been standing beside her mother, covered her moth in horror. A large bruise started along her shoulder and spread toward her back, where it exploded in purples and greens like a skin disease. Smaller, finger-sized bruises lined the backs of her arms – how had they not seen them before? Her hair was pulled over one shoulder, and the space of her neck left bare had a series of long bruises on it, almost like a collar. Any one of these would have been excusable, incidental, but all together they told a horrifying story.

Exposed, Kiley felt her eyes prick with tears. She could picture her mother's face, that same sickened reaction as she saw, for the first time in a year, the roadmap of pain her daughter's body had become. Now her aunt and Mindy stared at what was left of the bruises, and saw the rawest part of her, the corner she'd been trying so hard to keep secret.

"I need some air." She made a beeline through the main room and burst out the front door, only stopping to grab a glass of wine off the tray of a passing caterer. She didn't breathe until the doors had shut behind her, and she was alone. Rounding a corner to the side of the building, she leaned against the wall and collapsed into tears.

Drake pulled up to the country club a little after ten. He and his band had been playing a gig at a local teen club – most of the attendees were middle schoolers. The club was the idea of some big wig in San Diego who figured the local high school crowd would get into less trouble if they had a 'cool' place to hang out. Like anything aimed at teenagers, it was rejected by the high school students, but frequented by middle school kids who thought going there made them 'grown up'. Unfortunately, the young age of the crowd meant that the gig ended at 9:45, and so he'd had nothing better to do than come wait for Josh.

What a sucky summer, so far. It seemed like he and the band couldn't find any good gigs, and so they were forced to play places like the teen club. The money sucked, and his parents had cut off his allowance, as well as gas money, so it was looking like he would have to get a job. Summer was supposed to be a time of freedom – hanging with the guys, out all night, playing music and kissing pretty girls. It was starting to seem that he'd exhausted his source of women, as well. All the girls in town he'd either dated or passed over, or, worse yet, they'd heard horror stories from other girls and were too afraid that he would break their hearts.

So, here he was on a Friday night, stuck outside the country club, waiting to chauffer his brother and brother's date around, before finally taking them back to her place to copulate (ew). He was contemplating his terrible fate when he saw something shiny rounding the corner of the building.

Silhouetted by the party inside, a slim figure stood against the window. He couldn't make out much, just the shadowy curves of an hourglass figure, a cigarette in her hand and the blue plumes of smoke that rose. He pulled the keys from the ignition, got out of the car and went. He had no game plan, but he was sure once he got there, he could figure something out.


	5. Chapter 5

He was startled, when he finally reached the building, to realize it was the girl from Lou Fitzbaum's party.

"I'm surprised at you, Trouble. I didn't think you were the smoking type." He said, leaning against the cream-colored brick of the wall.

Kiley was surprised to see him, but not shocked. Her suspicions were right then – this was Drake, Josh's brother. He must have come early to pick the love birds up.

"I don't normally smoke." She ran her hand under each of her eyes, hoping the last traces of mascara tearstains were gone by now. "It's just a crutch for a bad night. You here to pick Josh up?"

He nodded, then frowned. "Yeah. Are you friends with Josh?" Looking closer, he could clearly see that her eyes were red – she'd been crying. He wanted to ask, but if anything he sense about this girl was correct, she wasn't just going to fall apart in his arms. He was going to have to work for the information.

Kiley shook her head, and curls tumbled around her shoulders. Drake loved a girl with long hair, and Kiley's was no exception. She looked like a mermaid, or a goddess. "No, I just met Josh, actually. I'm Mindy's cousin, Kiley."

He choked on his own spit. Josh had been _right_? His hottie from Lou Fitzbaum's party was Mindy's cousin? Mindy _Crenshaw, _bringer of evil, exacter of pain? "I'm sorry. But you're way too pretty to be Mindy's cousin."

Kiley rolled her eyes and huffed angrily, her smoke billowing out. Most of it blew straight into Drake's eyes. Shocked and remorseful, she leaned forward. He was annoying, sure, but she didn't mean to _blind _the poor kid. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry. See, I barely ever smoke, and when I do, I forget I am, and…." She paused, dropping what was left of the cigarette and stomping it out.

Drake blinked. His eyes were watering. Kiley leaned forward, peering into his eyes. "Shit. Now I've gone and got your eyes all red. I'm sure they'll clear up in a moment." She took a step back, putting a foot between their bodies. "I really wish you wouldn't try that flattery shit on me. All it does is make me incredibly uncomfortable."

Drake coughed and shook his head. He'd been breathing in just when she exhaled, and all her smoke still seemed to be caught in his lungs. "I wasn't saying you're pretty." He coughed again, not looking up to see her raised eyebrows. "Just that your cousin," another few coughs. At last, he looked up at her. "Is hideous."

Kiley scowled. "Mindy's gorgeous. God. What do you have against her?"

Drake shrugged. "She's so hoity-toity. She acts as though, just because I'm not an honors student, I'm not capable of _anything_. She used to be really mean to Josh, she framed me for a prank a few years back…and, she has awful breath."

Kiley nodded. "She _does_ have pretty rancid breath." Her eyes met Drake's. "But you can't tell her I said that."

Drake smiled. He couldn't figure out what it was, exactly, but there was something he really liked about Kiley. She was funny, and genuine – it felt like she wasn't presenting him with what she thought he would like. Instead, everything he saw was the real deal, and she had no problem speaking her mind to him, even though she barely knew him.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, what's with the wine, and the cigarette…and the tears?" He asked tentatively, leaning against the brick wall. She looked away shyly, taking a swig of the wine and brushing her face self-consciously.

"It's a long story." She answered at last, glancing up at him.

He shrugged, and checked his watch. "That's fine. We've still got a half hour until the party's over, the entire time at the coffee shop…"

"…And then the ride over to the party where I will probably spend the whole night while Mindy and Josh screw." Kiley finished, sighing. Right now, the last thing she wanted was to try and drag herself through the rest of the night. She just wanted to sleep.

Drake frowned. "You're out of the house for the whole night? Does Mindy really think Josh can last that long?"

Kiley snickered, covering her mouth. "No, but they want to sleep together, and snuggle and shit. You remember your first time – all of that seems so important, the first time. She didn't say I have to leave, I just didn't want to be there for all that. I'm coming back at nine to sleep all day."

Drake grinned. "How'd you know I'm not a virgin?"

She laughed again, this time tipping her head back and letting out a loud guffaw. "_Please_. My cousin's only been telling me what a man-whore you are for the past five years. She totally had a crush on you when we were twelve, and used to talk on AIM. You wouldn't give her the time of day, though – that's why she hates you." Kiley kept giggling, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes. It amazed her, how quickly her night had gone from rock-bottom to pretty awesome. Sure, Drake was a flirt, but the conversation wasn't bad. It was the first time she'd really talked to someone in weeks, without them trying to figure out what was wrong, or get her to spill her guts.

Drake grimaced. "You're kidding, right? I don't even remember Mindy back then. I mean, there was this one girl with glasses who used to follow me around, but-"

Kiley nodded vigorously. "Yep, that was her. Mindy had the hugest, most hideous glasses until eighth grade. It was almost as bad as me being fat."

Drake looked Kiley's lean, lithe body up and down. "You? You were fat?"

Kiley laughed. "Yeah. When my dad left, things sucked. My mom was working, and I spent a lot of time at my grandparents'….I got into the habit of eating my feelings. I'd always been athletic, though, so even though I put on a lot of weight, when a friend got me into track, I dropped most of it quickly."

Drake nodded. "So now, you run."

"And swim. I tried out for javeline and pole-vaulting too, but I sort of suck. Pole-vaulting terrifies me. I mean, you screw up just a little, and you could wind up vaulting yourself to god-knows-where."

Drake nodded again. He was about to say something when the front doors of the building burst open, and a stream of teens poured out. Kiley stepped forward a little, and the two peeked around the corner, searching for Josh and Mindy.

"Guess it's time to go." She said softly. Josh and Mindy were standing by the car, their arms around one another. A few kids lingered in the building, but most found their way to their cars – the after party would be livelier than the cocktail, after all.

Kiley leaned back against the wall. She was hesitant to join the crowds. Melinda had somehow managed to keep her shrug, and her hair mostly covered the bruises, but she still felt so…exposed.

Drake watched the tortured expression on her face. "You coming? I thought I was your ride for the night."

Kiley looked up at him, her face dark. "Yeah. I-" she paused. "I'm cold. Can I borrow your jacket?" The last thing she wanted was for Drake to feel like she had an in, but at the same time, the thought of exposing her bruised back to everyone, opening herself up to their speculations made her sick. She knew the word had already gone around back home; the last thing she wanted was more rumors about her here.

"No problem." Drake slid off his jean jacket and arranged it around her shoulders. He smiled a little. "You look a little like Tina Turner, but without the hair."

She slid her arms into the jacket, looking at the jean against the gold dress. It _was_ pretty 80s-looking. "Guess we should go drive the love birds to their nest, eh?"

Drake grimaced. "Don't remind me." He pulled the keys from his pocket and started toward the car.

"Kylie!" Mindy cried when the two slid from the shadows. "I was looking all over for you. My mom didn't mean anything…she didn't realize…" Mindy let her mouth fall shut. Suddenly it felt dry, and full of ash. She wasn't sure what to say to Kylie after her mother had humiliated the girl, and especially now that she knew just how bad things had been.

Kylie took in her cousin's expression of pity, as well as Josh's. She looked to Drake, who just looked confused – but intrigued. "It's over." She said simply, shrugging.

"I…uh…see you've met Drake." Josh offered, trying to pick up the broken pieces of conversation.

Drake sighed. He was thinking of the after parties, the anywhere he could take Kylie, get her alone. Those big hazel eyes were killing him, and the brokenness that seemed to surround her had him captivated. He wanted to grab her toned shoulders and kiss those pretty, pouty lips until she was all better. He'd never been one for the white knight complex, but there was nothing he wanted more than to fix whatever was wrong, make her smile again. He didn't have the depth to wonder how much of that was just because she seemed so unwilling to accept help, but it was definitely a factor.

"Alright, hop in. Are we going to the diner, or straight to Mindy's?" Drake asked. He opened the passenger side door and gestured for Kylie to get in.

"Uhm. There's a guitar in my seat." She said, giggling a bit. The guitar case was buckled in lovingly.

"I'll get that." Drake leaned past her, unbuckling the guitar and passing it back to Josh, who was already getting settled in the back seat with Mindy. Her seat free, Kylie climbed in, and Drake came around the driver's side.

"Straight to Mindy's." Josh said nervously. Mindy smiled, taking his hand, and the two shared a secret smile. Kylie, who was watching all this from the rear-view mirror, gagged a little.

The ride to Mindy's was awkward and quiet. Josh and Mindy were too nervous to say anything to one another, Mindy was too worried about the altercation between Melinda and Kylie to say anything to her cousin, and Kylie was too completely overwhelmed by the evening to work up the energy.

Drake hit a few buttons and Save Ferris came blasting through the speakers. Kylie broke out in a smile. "You like ska?"

Drake smiled. "Yeah. I like a little bit of everything – I'm really into classic rock, and some modern, but ska, punk…it all appeals to me."

Kylie felt her foot wiggling in time to the heavy beat. "See, I'm not super-huge on ska, but I appreciate some. I was really into No Doubt back in the day, and now I like bands like Save Ferris and Reel Big Fish. I do the punk, too – classic and more modern punk-rock type stuff. But, I think my ultimate favorite is The Beatles. I mean, I know _everyone_ says that, but they're so classic, and their stuff really set the stage for all rock – modern and classic."

Drake's face broke open into a huge grin. It had been a long time since he'd found a girl he could talk music with – Carly had been the first, and the last since then.

"You can't do better than The Beatles – they're classic. I mean, they pretty much _invented _the genre. And then, you know, you've got Led Zeppelin, who really took it up a notch." Drake said. He glanced into the rearview mirror to see Josh and Mindy kissing. It was pretty uncharacteristic – typically, Josh wasn't the type for public make-outs.

"I disagree. Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Floyd – they all definitely helped define classic rock in the '70s, but you can't forget the less-mentioned bands. What about the Doors? Does _anyone_ give Jim Morrison the credit he deserves, for being an absolute rock god? Or what about the Animals? To this day, they still have the best version of 'House of the Rising Sun'." Kylie had completely forgotten about her bruises, even the fact that she had to find a place to stay for the night. She was completely absorbed in the conversation.

How long had it been, since she'd been able to lose herself in any one thing? The past year, she'd been holding herself so tight, taut and alert like a wire waiting to snap. She was constantly waiting, on edge, always careful, always afraid. It seemed like everything was threatening, like everyone's actions eventually found a way to hurt her. It always came back to the hurt, and though she wanted to believe that her flight from Michigan meant she was safe at last, one last tight wire inside of her keep her taut, frightened, waiting for it all to break.

Before she could ponder it any longer, Drake was pulling into Mindy's driveway. Kiley opened her door before Josh and Mindy could get out.

"Before we leave," she explained, jumping out into the driveway. "I'd really like to get into something more comfortable."

Mindy nodded. "Yeah, I'll let you into the house, and then…" Kiley nodded wordlessly. The three headed inside, and Drake waited outside with the car still running, drumming his fingers along to the music.

His breath caught in his throat a bit when Kiley opened the door. She wore a pair of faded, widely-flared jeans with holes all through the thighs and knees, and a black T-Shirt with Jim Morrison's face plastered on it in white. It wasn't what she wore, exactly, or even the way her hair tumbled over her shoulders in a haphazard and poetic sort of way. It was the way she was running to him, his jean jacket still hugging her shoulders, her hair bouncing all over the place. She had a majestic sort of run, and he was spellbound.

He _had _to have her.

"I find it incredibly disturbing," she said, clambering into the passenger's seat, "That right now my cousin and your brother are preparing to get it on." He noticed almost immediately that something had changed in her. Whatever had seemed so broken, so off, was gone, or at least subdued. The perky, excited girl in his passenger seat was most definitely the spitfire he'd met before, but this time…she was happy.

Kiley looked up at Drake. He was just _staring _at her. He had this small smile playing on his lips, which she had to admit was kind of cute, but at the same time, this was also the kid who had been relentlessly hitting on her a week ago. Still. Hid brown eyes were kind of pretty.

"Here." She rifled through her purse and came out with a CD. "Put this in." Drake continued staring at her, and she put the CD in herself.

A blast of music startled Drake out of his reverie. He looked at the stereo.

_Sixteen and a son of a bitch_

_Got a gun and a strychnine twitch_

_Little girl on the graveyard shift_

_Out of control and doesn't give a shit_

He looked to Kylie, who was practically dancing in her seat. "What is this? It's good – really good – but I've never heard it before." He put the car in gear and pulled out of the driveway.

"It's Foxboro Hot Tubs. They're a side project of Green Day. They have more of a '60s-ish feel, which I love. I mean, it's still rock, and still kind of punk-y, but it's stuff you just want to _move _to. And it's Green Day, so the lyrics still mean something."

_I don't wanna go down, I don't wanna go down_

_Gonna lose control_

_So stop, drop and roll._

_I'll say._ Drake thought to himself, glancing again at Kylie. "How'd you find them?" He asked, looking back at the road.

"Green Day website. What's really cool is, they only play little clubs, and most of the shows are secret. They're not in it for revenue – they have that with Green Day. So this is just four or five guys, playing for the sake of the music."

Drake nodded. "See, I think there's a common misconception there. Like, my band plays for money. That doesn't mean we don't love playing, though. If anything, it means we're serious about it. I'd rather do paid gigs, so I can get my living playing, than have to get a job, and not do what I love."

Kylie smiled. "Defensive much?" He didn't say anything, and her smile faded. "Geez, I'm just kidding. I completely understand what you mean. It's why I'd like to find something I love, before I get to college and have no idea what I want to study. I know my dad is a dillhole, but I'd rather be like him than my mom."

Drake looked over at Kylie. "Really? I don't mean to pry, but...is it just 'cause he left? 'Cause I feel that."

Kylie shook her head. "No, not exactly. I mean, it sucked that he left when I was seven, and my mom and I had to move up to Michigan with my grandparents. I guess it's mostly because he just…took off. Like, he just _left, _once the divorce was final. No phone-calls, he didn't insist on weekend visits or anything. I'd see him once a year, for Christmas, but that was about it. I understand that he and my mom weren't getting along, but he and I seemed like we were doing pretty awesome, until he left." She recalled something Drake had said, and cocked her head. "Did your dad just kind of take off, too?"

Drake nodded. "I was thirteen when it happened. The fighting started when I was a lot younger, but my mom kept hanging in there. When they split, Megan was only eight, but they just couldn't do it anymore. My dad was involved with a lot of business overseas, especially in Tokyo. He used to go on business trips all the time, but after the split, he went away…and just never came back."

They both were quiet for a moment, and the only sound was the gentle hum of the engine, and the stereo. After a pause that seemed to stretch on for eons, Kiley spoke up. "It sucks, doesn't it? It's like you don't matter….like, that whole time, you never did."

Drake nodded. "Like you don't even count." He'd never said these things aloud, not even to Josh. Something about being in the car, in motion, with the crash of cymbals and fast-paced guitar in the background made it easier. Which explains why, when they finally pulled into Roger's driveway, he suddenly didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"So," he began, turning to Kiley. "You ready to party?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ** Thanks for the reviews! I know I've been paused for a while – spring break, and all ;).

Mindy let the dress fall from her shoulders. She watched Josh's his face, followed his eyes from the heap of pink fabric lying on the floor. Slowly, he took in her bare skin, the lacy violet underwear that clung tightly to her, the matching bra that seemed to overflow when she breathed.

His breath caught in his throat. He couldn't move.

"How about…some…music?" Mindy asked slowly, purposefully. She forced herself to break his gaze, and walk over to her laptop. She searched through her iTunes, her hands shaking, and found a few classical albums. She hit 'shuffle', and relaxed as the notes came softly through the air.

Josh breathed. He felt a little better, now that it wasn't just _them_. He was sweating, though, so much so that his pants were sticking to his thighs. He began to unbutton his shirt, but Mindy approached.

"Here, let me." Her fingers deftly worked the buttons, and soon the shirt was slipping from his shoulders. She reached for the buttons of his pants, and the slacks fell to the floor as well. They stood there, staring at one another in their underpants for a moment, before Mindy took the first step toward him, and kissed him.

Josh felt himself flood with emotion, enough to break through his restraint. His hands were all over her, tearing at the fragments of lace that held him from her bare body. He didn't have the thought to be surprised by his own dexterity as he worked her bra off in a second; he was too busy touching and kissing everything he could.

There was nothing for Mindy to do but hold on as the waves of passion washed over her. She stepped back until she felt the bed at the back of her knee. As gently as she could, she collapsed against it and as the music swelled in the background, Josh slipped off his boxers and followed her down.

Roger's house was bigger than Kylie had expected, but she mentally chided herself for being surprised – they were in San Diego, weren't they? She hesitantly followed Drake into the giant Tudor house. Apparently he and Roger knew one another from school. It seemed that most of the country club kids went to school with Drake, or had gone to elementary school with him.

"There's a pretty elite prep school nearby, so a lot of the smarter kids go there now." Drake explained as he eased open the front door. The party was already in full swing – music blared from somewhere deep in the house, every available surface was cluttered with cups, and the smell of burnt cheese seemed to linger between the tightly packed bodies.

"I'm surprised Mindy doesn't go there." Kylie commented, following the very specific path Drake took between people to the kitchen. She felt almost claustrophobic with so many people packed so tightly around her. She had to shout to Drake to be heard over the music and other conversations, and the house was hot, sweaty, the air thick with the smell of people. She'd been there only a few minutes, and already she wanted to leave.

"I don't think they accepted her, actually. Josh said she about had a meltdown when she found out." Drake commented. At last, they'd reached the kitchen. It was a little less crowded than the rest of the house. There was no keg, just a few buckets with beverages, and a dozen liters of soda on the counter. Drake wandered over to a bucket.

"Apparently he doesn't believe in beer…all we have are wine coolers. You interested?" He turned to Kiley, who was leaning against the granite island, looking fascinated by the rich décor around her. His voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Uhm...if there's anything peach or mango flavored, I'll take it." She watched as Drake rifled through the icy bucket, then came up with two glass bottles. He slid one across the counter to her, and she held it, just staring.

"Is there a bottle opener? I'm not about to whack this off the granite countertop." She said flatly, looking up at him.

Drake shrugged. "There should be something out on the back patio. Follow me, madam." He led her through the rest of the house. Kylie was continually amazed by the amount of people who greeted Drake, and the warm responses he answered them with. It was as if he really did know everybody and, more than that, everyone liked him. There had to be more to him than just the super-cocky jerk she'd seen that first night, if everyone thought so highly of him. Already, it seemed like she was finding more and more that she liked. He had great taste in music, for one. He didn't have a problem talking about his dad leaving, which she also appreciated. He was funny, and he seemed pretty well-rounded…

Not a bad guy. Not a guy she could get interested in (like she needed that, anyway) but, not a bad guy. He was certainly making her summer more interesting.

"Hey, Roger!" Drake called as they finally came out onto the patio. The stone porch surrounded a large-kidney shaped pool that had a hot tub off to the side of it. Tiki torches lined the edges of the patio, surrounded the table and chairs as well as the pool, where people were already splashing around.

"Drake! Long time, no see!" A guy with blonde spikey hair, wearing no shirt and a dripping bathing suit greeted Drake warmly. Kiley followed over slowly, still holding her bottle, wishing desperately that she could drink from it.

"You met Kiley at the cocktail?" Drake asked, gesturing to her. She smiled tightly at Roger, who grinned, and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah." He grinned wider. "You were a real firecracker on that dance floor. It completely blew my mind that you're Mindy's cousin." He stepped closer, and Kiley tried inching away. The table was behind her, though, and there wasn't anywhere else to go.

She wasn't sure why she felt so threatened. She _had _danced with him – just not to any slow songs, where he'd have an excuse to touch her. It wasn't like she'd never had someone come on to her before, either. She should be used to guys getting this close. There was something menacing though, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It hadn't been so long since the last time someone had advanced this way –

_"You shut up." A cold hand clapped across her mouth. Her tears were hot against her flushed face, her body shook so hard she thought she'd be sick. A second hand gripped her shoulder tight, so tight she could already picture the bruises._

_ "You made this happen. All you had to do was be on time, Kiley. I wouldn't have to keep you in line if you weren't such a dumb slut." His breath was hot against her ear, sending chills across her skin. His grip tightened, and she screwed her eyes closed, waiting for it to be over._

"Yeah. So, are you still with Stephanie?" Drake's voice brought her back to the surface. He was smiling, but she sensed he wasn't really happy. A tightness in his voice made her question what he was trying to say between the lines.

"Nah. We broke things off for the summer –she'll be in Cancun with her family, I'll be here. Better to enjoy ourselves than to spend all night long-distance phoning, right?" He grinned again. Though he was talking to Drake, his eyes never lingered far from Kiley. She felt exposed, as though he could see through her clothes.

Drake had a hand resting on the table behind her. He moved it closer, so that it was behind her instead of next to her – almost like he had his arm around her. She wasn't sure how much she liked it, but at the moment, it made her feel protected from Roger's greedy gaze.

"Makes sense. So, uh, we were just looking for a bottle opener for the wine coolers. I couldn't find one in the kitchen." The faux-cheer had left Drake's voice, now. Kylie looked up, distracted, as someone threw someone else in the pool.

"Right here." Roger leaned forward, reaching to the table behind them. He pressed his wet chest heavily against Kylie. It was too much. The closeness, the moisture of his skin pressing through her shirt and onto her skin overwhelmed her, and she pulled away, taking several steps to the side until she bumped into someone coming out of the pool.

Drake and Roger both looked up at her, puzzled. "Here, man." Roger handed Drake the bottle opener, gave Kylie one more bewildered look, and sauntered off into the house.

Kylie shuddered. Suddenly, she just wanted to cry. There were too many people, though, and she refused to break down in front of Drake. It was bad enough that she was so shaken; the last thing she wanted was to cry on his oh-so-willing shoulder. Instead, she searched for a chair and sat down, still shivering. Her stomach churned, sick from all the anxiety.

"You alright?" Drake pulled a chair beside her and slid into it, a look of genuine concern on his face.

Kylie ran a hand through her hair, avoided his gaze. "I'm…I'm fine. He was just creeping me out." She pulled the bottle opener out of Drake's hand, pried the top off her drink, and handed the opener back to him. She took a deep drink, and breathed out heavily.

"Yeah, I forgot what a dick he is. I'm surprised he didn't grab your ass while you two were dancing." He opened his own bottle and glanced out at the kids in the pool. A few were in the hot tub, mostly girls. One lucky son of a bitch sat in the middle, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Drake glanced back at Kylie, who still looked shaken and terrified. The guy in the hot tub could have all the fun he wanted – Drake had better things to do tonight.

"He did. I don't know how I forgot that." She said quietly. Her voice was bitter, angry, but beneath it was a layer of hurt that had nothing to do with Roger and everything to do with the movies that wouldn't stop playing in her head. She took another deep drink, almost polishing off her bottle.

"Whoa, there." Drake watched Kylie, bewildered. "I don't know how it is in Michigan, but generally out here, if you're a girl and you don't want to get taken advantage of, you don't get black-out drunk at parties." He watched Kylie's face for a reaction. There was none.

She didn't want to do this tonight. All she wanted was to be home, in her bed, in Saint Joe. Or out on the pier, watching Lake Michigan beat against the jetty under the moonlight. Anything – _anything_ – would be better than falling to pieces here, with a total stranger.

She looked up at Drake. He was her only ticket out at this point. She was all out of options, and he was the only place she had to turn. No, she didn't have any reason to trust him. And, no, she didn't know where she was going to go from here, or what she was going to do. All she could do was make one final motion, and let the tide carry her to safety.

"Will you take me to the beach?" It came out weaker, more pathetic than she had intended, and she hated herself immediately. Drake's eyebrows shot up.

"Right now?" She nodded, and he cocked his head. "If I do, will you tell me what's wrong?" He wasn't sure why he wanted to know; he just did. Maybe if she opened up, she'd fall for him? Maybe she'd be vulnerable, looking for physical love to bury all her pain under? Or, maybe he just wanted to know what made her tick.

She shrugged. "Don't know. Probably not. But if we stay here any longer, I'm going to get really drunk to deal with my stress, and you're going to feel obligated to follow me around, make sure no one rapes me and hold my hair back while I puke. Sound like a good night to you?" For the first time since they arrived, she looked confidant.

Drake slid out of his chair, setting his drink on the table. "Alright, then. The beach it is."

"And I ralphed. Everywhere." Drake finished. He and Kylie had been walking along the beach for a good half hour, and had discussed nothing but old puke stories. He was surprised he had so many of them, but between his childhood, Megan's, and his mom's pregnancy, there was a lot of vomiting in his past.

He wanted her to tell him something deeper, something personal. He had no idea how to do it, though; it wasn't like he talked about 'deep' things with other girls. He knew already that he wouldn't be getting any physical action from her, and he would be satisfied if he could at least crack her open a little more. The mystery that surrounded her killed him.

"Gross. So, tell me something else." Kylie toyed with the ends of her T-shirt. She felt enlivened by the sea breeze, the sand between her toes, and the water that rushed up just a few feet from her. All the stress from the party seemed to have dissipated, and she felt more like herself than she had in months. "Tell me something no one knows." She finished, looking over at Drake.

Drake paused, thinking. "Okay. So, I'm sure Mindy's told you, about how I date around, and don't stick with any one girl, and I'm such a player, right?"

Kiley nodded slowly. "Something like that." She glanced up at Drake, who was watching her intently. "But, you know. You can't always trust what you hear. And Mindy…well, you know about that too. She hates you, and all."

Drake chuckled. "Yeah. Well, there's a reason for everything. I'm not a manwhore because I like degrading women or anything, it's just…for a long time, I was really scared. I watched my parents fight for so long, and then break up, and I just didn't want to go through that. Relationships are so ridiculous. You swim through this sea of people, and you're supposed to pick one – just one – and spend forever with that one person. How many people do you really date, though? Like, ten at the most, right? In the millions of people in the world, you're supposed to select from ten the one you spend your life with? What if you pick the wrong one?"

Kiley studied Drake's face. He seemed unaffected, but she couldn't possibly know how hard he was trying to keep his face straight, to not betray how naked he felt sharing this with a total stranger. Though he seemed cool, perhaps even detached, she figured there had to be some emotion in there.

"It is scary. Especially when you've watched your parents, who are supposed to be soul mates, turn on each other like that. You're so afraid that you'll wind up in the same position." She offered, looking over at him.

Drake sighed. "Exactly. So, I guess I just wanted to sample a bit of everything. See what was out there, what I really wanted. I thought I was getting there with Carly. She was into music, she was funny, and smart, and just amazing."

Kiley bit her lip. Drake's voice was rich with emotion, and she found herself envious. She'd been trying not to feel for so long now that she couldn't even broach the pain she heard in his voice. No, she didn't want to feel the pain…but at the same time, she was getting sick of being numb.

"I was convinced that, you know, maybe the whole high school sweethearts thing could work out. I was working up the courage to tell her that I loved her…and then I caught her with another guy." He looked away, trying to hide the frown that appeared involuntarily.

Kiley cringed. She knew betrayal like she knew her own skin, but hers was of a different breed entirely. "That really sucks. I'm sorry."

Drake shrugged. "It was a while ago. I've had time to get over it, and I've dated since then…I'm just not sure how much I believe in monogamy. Maybe marriage is against our nature." He turned to Kiley. "But enough about me. What about you? Tell me something you've never told anyone before…something secret. Something real."

She glanced at Drake, who was gazing intently at her as he walked. She knew what she wanted to say, the one thing that had been begging to escape her lips for a year now – but it just wouldn't come. She'd been training herself to keep it hidden away, to keep her shoulders and back covered, her mouth zipped tight. She'd learned to hide her skin, the emotions that showed in her actions, her expressions, her eyes, until now she was just a shell of a girl, too afraid to feel at all. Maybe it wasn't the right timing, or the right person, but wouldn't it help, to finally free herself? To admit it all, to break free of the chains she'd so willingly stepped into?

No. She shook her head, ready to give him any answer – something about her father, a cookie she'd stolen when she was twelve, anything – when a familiar buzzing disturbed her pants pocket.

"Huh." Who the hell would call this late? Was it Mindy? Kiley pulled her phone out. When she read the name on the lit front screen, her hands went cold, and her stomach dropped. Goosebumps rippled across her skin, her body began to shake. She looked to Drake, horrified. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She couldn't even breathe.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter took so long….it's a bit longer than the rest, and much heavier. I hope it's not too confusing, but all the italicized bits are flashbacks – let me know if they're confusing/misleading in any way. Thanks for the lovely reviews :D.

"Kiley? Kiley, are you okay?" Drake stared at the girl, who hadn't moved in a full five minutes. When at last she turned to him, tears welled in her eyes.

"Oh, my god. We need to go somewhere…can you take me home? I'm tired, and I'm cold, and I'm sure Mindy will understand…" She glanced at her phone again. It had stopped vibrating, and now along with the missed call, she had a text. Terrified, she opened it.

**I know where you are. You can run, Kiles….but you won't escape me.**

Her hand shook, and the phone dropped. Drake picked it up before she could, and read the text. His stomach churned as he digested the words. He wasn't sure how serious this person was, but he could tell it was terrifying Kiley, who had seemed so unshaken through most of the night. He glanced at the callback – some guy named Alan.

"Who's Alan, Kiley?" He closed the phone and hesitated. He didn't want to give it back to her just yet – it seemed to have a weakening power over her, and he didn't want to see her start to fade again.

"Please just give me a ride home, Drake." Her eyes were pleading with him, but he couldn't let it go.

"Are you going to want to interrupt Mindy and Josh? She'll make you explain everything, you know." When she didn't react, he took a step closer. "Look, I understand that it's your personal business. But if this person, this Alan has you so scared….maybe it wouldn't hurt to have someone on your side." Once again, he questioned why he cared so much. She was just some girl – and apparently, a dangerous one. He couldn't help but care, though. He wanted to protect her, to save her. He wanted to wash away all this fear and bring back the lively girl who had come alive on the shore. There was something beautiful in her, but it was shrouded now in a fear so real, it radiated from her.

"I'll explain in the car. Let's just go – I feel like he's probably already in San Diego." She turned and started toward the car, her pace quick and clipped.

"I love you, Mindy." Josh whispered. He held her close in his arms, her head resting against his bare chest. They lay wrapped in her lavender sheets, surrounded by the scent of clean laundry and aroma reeds that seemed to infuse into everything Mindy owned.

Mindy kissed Josh's cheek. "I love you too." She wasn't sure how to describe what she was feeling. It hadn't quite been as enjoyable as she had hoped, and yet the closeness, the realness of it was overpowering. It seemed as though now, she belonged to Josh more than she ever had. Logic told her that thousands of people copulated on a regular basis, that millions had already had their 'first time', and sex was nothing spectacular. Her feelings contradicted, though – she felt as though they'd invented sex, like they were the first people to hold one another this close, to kiss and caress in the darkness of her lavender-scented room.

Josh's heart was still pounding, but he held Mindy close, smiling. He had known it would feel good, but never – _never_ – had he expected that it would be so blissful. He was exhausted, and yet he wanted to do it again. And again. And maybe again after that.

The two lay entwined, still whispering sweet nothings to one another, both savoring the feelings that continued to wash over them. He, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, mixed with affection and her, a powerful sense of adoration. They were self-consumed and satisfied with their own love that neither would have thought, or cared to think of the girl across town, fighting off the remnants of a similar love gone sour.

"It wasn't always like this. When I met Alan a few years ago, he was really nice." Kiley explained. She and Drake were secure in the car, and she was fiddling with her fingers, searching for the right words to explain everything to him. She knew that he wanted to know, that he was dying of curiosity.

For her, though, this was difficult. She'd been trying so long to be numb that just saying his name aloud brought up pulsating emotions that seemed to completely overcome her. Thinking about the beginning only make it worse. She could so clearly picture Alan's bright blue eyes, his smile, which had done her in, at first. Her eyes flicked closed, and she could see it all in her head, so clearly –

_Kiley shifted from foot to foot. She was hot, still sticky from a long morning at work, and the thought of an iced latte was making her salivate. She was impatient in line – all she wanted was to get her drink and go. When she saw the boy at the cash register, though, all the hurry drained from her._

_ "Can I help you?" He grinned, showing a full, brilliant smile. His cool blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the early summer sunshine._

She opened her eyes, feeling tears prick. Things had seemed so good. She looked to Drake. "We worked together in St. Joe. He was in the coffee shop, I worked in the book store. They day we met, he paid for my latte." She pictured Alan's smile when he told her to meet him on the pier at 3, and he'd consider the favor repaid.

"So, he was a charmer." Drake broke what had felt like a soliloquy.

Kiley nodded. "Like you. He just sugared me up and won me over…and I fell for it, so hard." She didn't meet Drake's eyes, and a terrible feeling washed over him. He'd thought it was just playful banter when she turned him down – apparently, though, he'd been bringing up bad memories.

Kiley sighed. "I'm not the type to fall for that shit, normally. I pride myself on being relatively level-headed…I'm not easy to win over."

Drake snorted. "_I'll _say." A beat, and then he turned to her, worried. "I'm sorry, that was dickish…." Joking was one thing normally, but right now, something was really _wrong_ with this girl.

Kiley shook her head. "It's fine – you're right. I'm a tough cooking when it comes to that kind of thing, but I sort of have to be. I mean, most girls who are attractive are attractive their whole lives. For me, I thinned out rather quickly, and then all of a sudden – wham! There was just all this male attention, and it was easy to take it all to heart, and think everyone was in love with me. So I'm careful, and I don't just accept accolades like it's all fact. I should have been more careful with Alan, but he was cute, and he seemed sweet….one day we were talking on the pier, the next we're going to see a movie together."

_Kiley opened the back door, peering inside. Brenda was inside, starting dinner, and looked up at her daughter._

_ "Kiley! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. How're things at The Grill?" She glanced briefly at the pot she was stirring, then back at her daughter, who let the door shut behind her, and came into the kitchen._

_ "Pretty good. So," Kiley sat down at a stool and spun nervously. She'd been wanting to say something for a while. "You know the boy I told you about, who works at the coffee shop?"_

_ Brenda looked up, giving her daughter a playful smile. "Oh, could this be the same boy who only calls you every ten minutes?"_

_ Kiley smiled sheepishly. "That's the one. He asked me to be his girlfriend today." She waited for her mother's response. Brenda didn't move, though, so she continued. "I said yes."_

_ "That's so wonderful!" Brenda grinned. She couldn't remember the last boyfriend Kiley had had – or even if she'd been in a relationship. She was sixteen, she should be out there exploring. So far, though, she hadn't seemed interested in any boys._

_ Brenda came around the counter to give a congratulatory hug. It wasn't said, but both women had a feeling, in that moment, that things had changed for the better._

"It all happened so fast." Kiley explained to Drake, glancing at him. A light rain had begun to fall, and she watched the streams that formed against the windshield. They had yet to move the car – Drake hadn't even started it, yet. "My best friend, Liz, would double-date with us. But then, she and Mark broke up. No big, right? But Alan didn't like the way her new guy looked at me, so we stopped double-dating. And then he didn't like what Liz said about him, so he would bitch any time we hung out." She bit her lip.

_"I just want you to myself." Alan said, grasping her head in his hands firmly. He held her so tight that the pressure almost hurt, but she said nothing – he was upset, emotional. He didn't mean to hurt her. Alan loved her, more than anyone ever had. He saw someone of worth, where everyone else had passed by a girl who had no value, meant nothing. Alan would never hurt her._

"He sounds really controlling." Drake offered. He ran a hand through his hair – he was unsure of what to say, and now he felt like an ass for prying. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to keep going, but he wasn't sure how to say it. Before he could manage anything, however clumsily put together, she continued.

"That's the thing, though. It's not like one day he was an ass. It all made sense, you know? He was just really protective. And sometimes he would…" She bit her lip again, struggling to get the words out. "He…" She looked up at Drake. "It's really raining. Maybe we should go somewhere?"

It took him a second, but even in the dark he could see the glossiness of her eyes – she was on the verge of tears. He fumbled for his keys. "Yeah, no problem. Listen, it's getting kind of late…why don't we just go back to my place? Josh and I have a couch, a TV in our room…it's not like I'm asking you back for anything scandalous." He started the car and, unthinkingly, flipped on the radio.

"Yeah, that sounds fine. I'm not really in the mood for coffee anyway." She sighed, sinking back into her chair. The stress of even speaking as much as she had – revealing that much to Drake, or anyone for that matter – had exhausted her. All she wanted was to sleep, forget it all.

Drake felt her phone vibrate – it was still in his pocket. He knew the text was probably from Alan, but he wasn't sure he wanted her to see it, or even know it existed. Most likely, it was just another empty threat, or some lewd comment. All it would do was rattle her further.

He glanced over at Kiley. She was biting a thumbnail, oblivious to how childish and vulnerable she looked in that moment. Her knees were pulled to her chest, and she looked completely terrified. He kept the phone where it was, deciding that he would check the text later, when she wasn't paying attention.

They arrived at his house with no noise but the radio. Knowing his family would be asleep, he cut the engine and coasted into the driveway, parking the car more neatly than Kiley had been expecting.

"We're going to have to slip in quietly. He explained. "No one should wake up, just don't say anything, and follow my footsteps very carefully…the steps can be squeaky." Kiley nodded, and the two slipped from the car. It was pouring, and the two scurried around the house, trying not to trip over anything in the pitch dark and blinding rain. Drake eased open the door, then led her carefully up the steps, which only squeaked once, and into his room.

"You can have a seat, if you want. Can I get you anything? A drink, a blanket, maybe a towel…?" He watched her expression carefully, but she wasn't moved at all. Her face was flat, void of anything. It was like she'd just emptied all of her insides out, and only a shell remained.

"A drink would be nice." She said softly, sitting down on the couch. She folded her legs beneath her, still looking worried.

Drake flicked the TV on and handed the remote to her. "Two mocha colas coming up." He said, feeling as he left that it came out a bit too cheery. As soon as he had excited the room, he checked the text.

**Baby, why do you make me do these things? You know we're meant to be together. Nothing can come between us. Remember that, Kiles…not miles, or cops, or bullets or bars. Love will always find a way.**

A chill ran down his spine. This guy was absolutely psycho. He put the phone in his pocket and grabbed the two sodas from the fridge, then headed back upstairs.

When he came in, Kiley was watching Futurama and laying on her side. Her wet hair clung to her soaked clothes. Drake set the drinks on the coffee table.

"At least let me get you a change of clothes. You're soaked." He walked to his dresser and tossed her a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, then grabbed clothes for himself.

"I guess that does make sense. Where's the bathroom?" She stood up, still holding the clothes.

"Second door on the left." He answered, pulling off his shirt. Kiley watched for a moment, admiring the faint lines of his not-quite-chiseled abs and the smooth, firm lines of his biceps. She turned before he could see her and slipped out the door.

In the bathroom, she watched herself in the mirror as she undressed. Her skin was goosebumped and seemed sallow compared to her typical summer tan. The bruises on her back and arms were fading, but still seemed clear to her. Her upper thighs were bruised as well, and parts of her forearms. She folded her wet clothes and hurried into Drake's dry pajamas, then slipped out of the bathroom. At his door she knocked then, when no answer came, tentatively opened the door.

He was sitting on the couch with a pile of blankets, watching television. She took a few steps in, then came over more confidently and plopped down.

"I know you said no blankets, but you're freaking shivering." He said, throwing a knit afghan over her. Kiley accepted it mildly, and reached to the coffee table for a mocha cola. For a quiet moment, no one spoke. Finally, unable to contain himself, Drake looked up at Kiley.

"How long has he been harassing you like that?" He asked quietly. He felt intrusive, like an ass, and yet he couldn't help himself. He wanted to know, and he wanted Kiley to say something, to stop being so damn silent. It was eerie.

"Just since I left Michigan. We didn't break up, exactly. My mom just forbid me to see him, and when I wouldn't stay away, she got a court order, and when that didn't work, she sent me to Melinda's. He's not…he's not an asshole. He just loves me a lot, more than he should, and he has a hard time with us being apart now." She wasn't sure how she felt. The texts terrified her, and she didn't want Alan to come to California and find her. At the same time, though, she missed her sweet Alan, the guy she knew he could be. She missed the Alan that was hiding behind the monster.

Drake shook his head in disbelief. "Are you telling me that you still have feelings for this psycho? Kiley, he's threatening you! He's a fucking asshole."

He expected her to cry, to fall apart, or maybe to just take it stonily. So he was shocked when she sprung to her feet and turned at him, teeth bared. "Don't you _dare _talk about him that way – don't you talk about _me _that way. You don't know Alan, you don't know me, and you don't know what's going on. I know all about you, Drake, with your band and your manwhoring – you get whatever you want. Well, for some of us, everything we get – everything we _have_ – is fucked up. It's not that easy, to figure out what to keep and what to give up on." She clenched her jaw. She didn't want to say as much as she'd said, and now she was regretting all the words that had tumbled out. She still loved Alan – how could she not? She also knew it would never work out.

Drake was still shocked. "Kiley….no one who would say these things to you is worth keeping." He said quietly. He was prepared for more backlash.

She pointed a trembling finger at him. "You don't even know me! I met you like, a week ago. Who are you, to tell me what I need, what will make my life better? You're just some ass. I don't need this." She started toward the window.

"Kiley, what the fuck are you doing?" Drake stood up, following her as she slid the window open, and pulled his desk chair up to it.

"Leaving." She answered tartly, stepping onto the chair. She looked ridiculous in his too-long pajamas, bracing herself to sneak out into the pouring rain.

"Where the fuck are ya gonna go?" When she didn't answer, he stepped closer. "Kiley, stop. Look, I'll shut up about Alan – I promise. But you can't sneak out of my house in pajamas at three in the morning. If you get raped or something, I'm going to feel _awful."_

She turned to him, furious. "If _I _get raped, _you'll _feel bad? What about-" It was then that she noticed the grin on his face.

"I knew that'd get your attention. Now, will you please step down, and come back to the couch?" He ran a hand through his hair. He'd asked girls to stay before, but never had he had to beg like this – it was quite humbling.

"Will you shut up?" She puther hands on her hips, cross. It was still humorous to him, with her baggy pajamas and wet, stringy hair, but he held in his laughter.

"About Alan, yes." He replied. She stepped down from the chair, and a knock rang from his door.

"Drake? What's going on in there?" Drake motioned for Kiley to climb into his bed. Without hesitation, she threw herself in and pulled the covers over her head.

Drake answered the door. "Nothing. Just….arguing with Josh."

Audrey looked around the room. "Where is he?" Inwardly, Drake smacked himself. He was supposed to tell his mom Josh would be gone.

"He stayed over Eric's after the cocktail." He answered calmly. "I was just yelling at him 'cause he called me to ask about a video game. Dork."

Audrey frowned. "He stayed at Eric's after a party with Mindy? Is this some cover-up so he can stay over at her place while her parents are out of town?"

Drake laughed. "Mom, this is _Josh _we're talking about, not me."

Audrey sighed. "Alright. Well, get to sleep – and for God's sake, stop making so much racket. Your father and I have work in the morning." She slipped out the door. The second it shut behind her, Kiley popped up from beneath the covers.

"Your father? I thought your folks were divorced." She pushed her damp hair out of her face.

"They are." Drake answered, sipping his soda. "She calls Walter, my step dad, 'your father'. It's supposed to encourage warm fuzzy emotions."

She slipped down the ladder and approached. "Does it?" She queried, grabbing her soda and sitting down.

Drake shrugged. "Walter's a good guy. He'll never be my dad, but he's important to my mom, and it's important to her that we get along…so I fake it."

Kiley nodded. "And Josh?"

Drake sat down beside her. "That's a different story. Josh and I…we got close. I've never had a brother, and he's never had a sibling, so it kind of works for us. I mean, he's a dork and all, but he's also a really great guy." He paused. "Really, he's my best friend."

Kiley smiled. "That sounds really awesome. I have an older brother, but he's much older. He started college a little while after my dad left, so we were never really good friends. The closest friend I had was Liz, and things with her haven't been so great, lately."

Drake frowned. "What happened?" He figured it had something to do with Alan – she'd mentioned him before in reference to Liz – but he wanted to hear the whole story.

Kiley shrugged. "Alan didn't like us hanging out. I shouldn't have let him push me around, but I figured if you love someone, you do stuff for them, right? He never said 'don't hang out with Liz', but whenever I did, we fought. So I just stopped. Now, she barely looks at me."

_"Where were you?"_ _Alan gripped her arm tightly. They were at his place, in the basement. She'd come in to surprise him, but the moment he saw her, his crystal eyes went icy, and his fists clenched._

_ "Just with Liz, babe. Chill out." She reached out to smooth a hand over his bare chest, but he slapped it away. It stung, but she knew he didn't mean for it to – he was just upset._

_ "I thought we were going to hang out today. You said you'd come over after school." He glared at her, then turned to the TV. She didn't recognize the program that was on._

_ "And here I am. I had track first, and Liz wanted to talk, but I came as soon as I could. I answered all of your texts, babe…I even told you I'd be here around six." She tried stepping closer, but an aura of tension seemed to emanate from him, and she was afraid to get too close. Alan would never hurt her, but still, it was better to be safe. _

_ "You said after school. And what did Liz want to talk about? Is she saying shit about me again?" His voice rose, and she looked at the ceiling dubiously. If his mother came down, he'd be even more pissed, and it would take all night to get him back into a good mood._

_ "No, no. She's having boy problems." The one time Liz had said she didn't like Alan for Kiley – something about him just seemed 'off' – he'd gone into a hissy fit. He'd thrown just about everything in his room against the wall and for a brief moment, she'd thought he would throw her, too. That had been stupid, of course. Alan loved her. He wouldn't do something like that._

_ On nights like this, though, she wondered. What if, one day, his temper really did get out of control? What if he reached a place where he couldn't help himself?_

"Listen, I'm pretty beat. Can we get to bed?" She asked, blinking hard. She wasn't about to cry in front of Drake, but she was afraid that if she continued to sit there, the movies would replay in her head until she completely fell apart.

"Yeah, sure. Listen, you go ahead and take my bed – I'll settle down on the couch." He spread one of the blankets out on the couch, and straightened a pillow.

"Why don't I just take Josh's bed and you take yours?" She asked, toying with her T-shirt.

Drake shook his head. "Josh sweats in his sleep. A lot. And you can't have the couch, because you're a lady. So, scamper on up there….unless you want me to tuck you in?" He grinned, raising an eyebrow.

Kiley shoved him playfully. "Nice try, loverboy. I'm not that easy, though." She climbed up the ladder and settled in under the covers. They smelled like what she assumed was Drake – musky, with a hint of Irish Spring soap, a bit of cologne. No Drakkar Noir, no hair gel like Alan. It was nice, if unfamiliar.

Drake flipped off the lights and settled in on the couch. Typically, he stayed over girls' houses, not the other way around. And when a girl _did _sleep over, they spent the night in his bed together. He'd never given up his bed for someone, and he wasn't sure he wanted to do it again – but Kiley needed him, and he couldn't turn her down, even if she did seem ungrateful at times.

"Good night, Drake." Kiley whispered, pulling the blankets over her head. She couldn't close her eyes without seeing Alan's eyes flashing at her, or feeling the stress of his presence. It almost helped that someone else was in the room.

"Good night, Kiley." Drake called. Without thinking, he added, "Sweet dreams."

She hoped to God he was right.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N** : This chapter is kind of long (sorry?) and super dramatic. I feel like the drama is necessary, considering all that poor Kiley's been through, but if you think it's over-the-top, feel free to say so. Other than that, enjoy! (also, surprise twist at the end?)

"Tell me about Alan." Dr. Wessler's frizzy blonde hair seemed to form a mushroom cloud around her head. She was leaning forward across her desk with an intensity that Kiley's bullshit detector was reading as false.

Kiley leaned back in her chair, both bored and irritated. It was bad enough that she had to sit through these sessions in the first place – the fact that Dr. Wessler had to pretend to care only added insult to injury. The woman's feigned interest, the way in which she leaned across the desk, so ready for the next bit of juicy gossip made Kiley want a cigarette. This was so stupid. Talk about Alan – why? What the fuck could she say to Wessler to make her understand what it had been like? How she had never been so in love, how she hadn't seen him for the monster he could be. Didn't girls make these mistakes all the time? It was the same story for someone – you fall in love and it works, or it doesn't. All the other factors are just little extras, the same as the variances between M&Ms – so small, it didn't matter. It was all the same thing.

"You know it's almost July and I still haven't beat my mile time? Talk about problems." Kiley offered, throwing her legs over the arm of the fluffy arm chair. She raised a leg, toe pointed, and surveyed the bare expanse of skin.

"My tan's not bad. I can get this real deep bronze, if I lay out. I've been too busy, though, with training and all." She glanced up at Dr. Wessler, who was not amused.

"Kiley, let's stay focused. Tell me about Alan." Dr. Wessler was the kind of woman who wore matching shirt-and-short outfits in pastels and Floridian colors like 'aqua' and 'coral' all summer long. Today's outfit was a peach colored sleeveless top with matching floral printed shorts on a breathable fabric. Kiley couldn't see her feet, but she knew there were matching sandals.

"I can swim a mile in no time. In fact, lately I've been swimming more than running." She thought to the school's pool, which was still open, and the way she shot through the water like a torpedo. It was like another world down there, and when she opened her eyes she was alone, trapped in a turquoise bubble that isolated her from anything and everything she didn't want to see. "I've been thinking about doing swim team instead of track next year, actually. It might fuck up my chances of getting a scholarship, but I think I like swimming more. I mean, running seems too pointless – what are you running from, anyway?"

Dr. Wessler's eyes brightened. "Exactly! And what _are _you running from, Kiley? What scares you?" The pseudo-soothing tones of her voice annoyed Kiley, who pointed both toes to examine her legs again. She hated these sessions, and she hated that they would continue until September, when she went back home for school. Now _that _was something to run from – everyone back home knew. Of course, she'd probably have to switch schools to avoid Alan, anyway. All in all, her senior year would be a nightmare.

She glanced at Dr. Wessler. "That's the thing. I'm not running from anything. I was packed on a plane here – I didn't run."

The good Doctor took a few notes. "Mmm-hmm. But what about Alan? Aren't you running from him?"

Kiley sighed. "To run from him, I'd have to get away from him first." She muttered to herself.

"What was that?"Dr. Wessler leaned close, but Kiley just rolled her eyes.

"I _said_, I need a cigarette break. Are we done?" she glanced up at the clock – 10 minutes left. Outside, it was still bright and sunny, though it was nearly dinner time. Ah, the endless days of summer.

Dr. Wessler shook her head. "An athlete like you should know better than to smoke. Do you drink too, Kiley?" She tried to stare deeply into the girl's eyes, but Kiley wasn't looking. "Do you find that drinking helps drown out the pain?"

_Baby Jesus, kill me_, Kiley thought to herself. "Will you stop? I'm not broken, I'm not scared, and I'm not going to make up emotions I don't feel to satisfy your need to help." She stood up.

Dr. Wessler stood up as well. "Kiley, hold on. Girls in your situation need to talk about what happened. You can't carry his abuse with you forever." From the look Kiley shot her, she feared for a moment that the girl would spit at her.

"I don't need your fucking help." Kiley quipped, pulling a cigarette from her jean shorts pocket and storming out.

The sky was cloudless, and the sunlight almost blinded her. She surveyed the sweltering parking lot, but Mindy's car was nowhere in sight. So she settled against the wall of the building, pulling a purple lighter from her bra and lighting the end of her cigarette. Here, she looked like any other girl – acid-wash cutoffs, orange flip flops and a green halter, hair up on a summer day. The bruises across her shoulders and back were faded, almost gone.

A car pulled in, but it wasn't Mindy's. She was surprised, but not shocked when Drake stepped out. She hadn't seen him since the previous weekend – he'd been working, she'd been training, and they just hadn't run into each other. They weren't close enough to have one another's phone numbers, or meet up for coffee or anything like that. Quite frankly, she'd been embarrassed after the night of the cocktail party, and didn't want to deal with his now-intimate knowledge of her past.

"I didn't know you were a nutjob too." She said in greeting.

He frowned at her cigarette. "You know, you really shouldn't smoke."

Lazily, she took a drag. Yeah, well. I didn't used to – this goddam place makes me so nervous, though." She frowned at him. "So, seriously, what are you doing here? Are you seeing a shrink, too?"

Drake shook his head. "Nah. I just got off work and Mindy asked me to pick you up – she and Josh are making dinner for my family." He paused. "You're invited, if you want."

Kiley pushed off the wall and began walking toward the car. "Well, I'll have to cancel my dinner with the president, but I guess I can make it." She opened her door and got in, leaving it open a moment, then dropping her cigarette and stomping it out.

"Well, I'll appreciate it. Otherwise, it's my parents, the lovebirds, and little ol' me. Megan's at summer camp until the end of July. I never thought I'd miss her, but her pranks certainly break up the monotony."

Kiley smiled. "That's a 50-cent word, right there. "

Drake shrugged and started the car. Kiley turned around and saw a Burger King uniform on the backseat. She burst into giggles.

"Oh, my god. You work at BK?" She turned to Drake, who tried to look occupied with backing out.

"It's just for now. I wanted a job at the record store, but my ex works there." He pulled out and headed home.

Kiley frowned at him. "And?"

Drake shrugged. "And I avoid exes. Especially the ones who cheated on me."

Kiley nodded. "You know, I never pegged you for the chicken-livered type, but okay. You like doling out fries to San Diego's finest?" She bit her lip to hide a smile.

"It's not that simple." His voice toed the fine line of irritation. "And who do you think you are, anyway? _You _should talk, after running out here to get away from an old boyfriend." He instantly regretted his words – he knew there was more between Alan and Kiley than just a few bad feelings. There was something dangerous and eerie there, something more than just a bad ending. The other night in the car, she'd been about to say something. 'Sometimes he would…' there were only a few endings for that sentence, and none of them seemed good.

"Let me out." She grabbed on to the car door, as though she would wrench it open mid-highway. Drake didn't slow down, and she raised her voice. "Let me _out._"

Drake shook his head. "No. You can't just run every time someone says or does something you don't like. I didn't say anything before, but you were out of therapy a good 5 minutes early. Did _she _say something you didn't like, too?"

Tears of frustration pricked Kiley's eyes. She was angry, both at Drake and herself – she'd actually been sort of excitedwhen she saw him step out of the car. As though they could be friends, or at least talk….as though maybe today, she'd get some normal human interaction. No such luck. The session with Dr. Wessler had been trying enough, but to be faced with the same questions again, this time posed by someone who wouldn't be too nice to accuse her of being afraid, or tiptoe around the delicate things – it was just too much.

It was a silent ride to Drake's house, with Kiley staring out the window trying to hold back her tears, and Drake glancing over occasionally, suddenly regretful for his backlash. He was still pretty sensitive about Burger King, and he hated that he was letting Carly push him around – but at the same time, he just couldn't face her. It had been hard enough catching her in the act, but to look at her now, still with the guy she'd cheated with and oh so happy – no. He just couldn't do it.

When he park in the driveway, Drake turned to Kiley to apologize, but the second the car stopped she was unbuckling her seatbelt and out of the car. He got out as quickly as he could, but she had already taken off down the road.

"Whatever." Chasing her would be fruitless. He went in the front door and popped into the kitchen to grab a mocha cola.

"Where's Kiley?" Mindy asked. She was helping Josh prepare a lasagna.

Drake popped the tab of the mocha cola and took a sip. "She ran off the second I parked the car. Guess therapy didn't go so well." He couldn't believe she was being such a child. Sure, he'd pissed her off. Was it really necessary to run off and make a scene, though? It was just like the other night, when she'd threatened to climb out of his window at three in the morning, into the pouring rain. As soon as any sort of adversary appeared, she was just _gone._

Mindy scowled at Drake. "Aren't you going to go find her? She barely knows her way to Belleview – she could get lost, or attacked or something!"

"Who's getting attacked?" Audrey asked, poking her head into the kitchen. She looked quizzically at both Mindy and Drake.

"Nobody, Mrs. Nichols." Mindy replied, sighing. "Drake just made my cousin angry, and she took off. I guess I'm going to have to skip out on dinner to go find her." Mindy set a wet lasagna noodle down and started for the door.

"No, no." Audrey put a hand on Mindy's shoulder, stopping her. "If Drake made Kiley upset, he can go find her." She looked up at her son. "And if I were you, I'd get a move on – dinner's starting soon."

Drake threw his hands in the air. "But mom – I didn't do anything, she just _freaked._"

Audrey shook her head. Josh had told her what little he knew about Kiley, and she could tell the poor thing was troubled. "Drake, she's a guest here in San Diego, and we treat guests better than that. Go find her, apologize, and bring her back for dinner. Go now – she probably hasn't gotten far, yet."

Mindy heaved another sigh. "Sure – unless she ran."

* * *

Kiley stopped, awed. What had started as a quick walk had soon turned into a jog, and then developed into an all-out marathon run. Now, at last, she had found a quiet space, deep inside the kelp forests of the Birch Aquarium. On either side of her, high glass walls gave off a blue-green glow, and bright fish flitted from between the long, leafy strands of kelp.

The aquarium would be closing in half an hour, but still, she lingered, walking slowly as she observed the fish in all their rainbow hues. Soon, she'd be coming up on the sea horse display, which particularly excited her.

All her life, she'd wanted to live near the ocean. Living so close to Lake Michigan was nice, but there weren't whales, or dolphins or anything, just boring, regular fish. If anything, living near a large lake where you could barely see the far edge, made her long to live near the ocean. Josh, Mindy and Drake didn't realize how lucky they were, to be able to swim so close to the majestic giants and all the strange, beautiful creatures that lived down there. The vast expanse, the pure power of the ocean was theirs to see and be a part of, whenever they wanted.

Another twist and turn, and she was in the sea horse area. She bounced from display to display, witching the strange, spiney creatures behind the glass. The reminded her of the underwater scenes of Pinocchio, where Jiminy Cricket searches the seas on the back of a sea horse.

"You know, everybody's worried about you." She hadn't realized she wasn't alone until she heard Drake's voice. She turned and there he was, sweating, less than two feet behind her.

"How did you…?" She frowned. His hair was damp with sweat, his shirt darker around the neckline.

He shrugged. "Mindy told me you had a thing for fish. I looked all over the neighborhood for you, and when you weren't there, I came here. You owe me $8.50."

Kiley shook her head. "I never told you to come after me. Besides, we still have another half hour before this place closes. I want to see the rest of the sea horses." She turned, and began to look at another tank of sea horses.

Drake sighed. He'd about had it with Kiley and her running off. "You might not have told me to come after you, but your cousin and my mom are going to have my head if I come back without you. Come on." He grabbed her wrist, but she shook him loose.

"So lose your head. Doesn't bother me any." She replied cooly.

Drake bit his lip. She was such a pain in his ass. If this were any other girl, he would leave her here to fend for herself – why bother, when she was taken, easily aggravated, and an all-around pill? But Kiley just wasn't any other girl. She had great taste in music, she was funny, smart, and so _alive_ on the right days. The only real issue with her was this hang-up about her ex boyfriend.

Drake pulled his phone out and texted Josh. **Found her, but she won't leave the aquarium.** He looked up at Kiley, whose skin was a sickly green as she pressed her face close to the sea horse tank.

"Look, Kiley, I'm sorry if what I said pissed you off, but I'm not big on talk about the whole Carly thing." He looked in at the tank. Several sea horses were anchored to long, slimy-looking plants. A few were swimming freely, but so slow it was more like drifting.

Kiley shrugged. "I'm not big on talking about Alan, but everyone seems to think that's so damned important. 'Get it off your chest, Kiley', 'You'll feel better once you talk it out'. 'What are you running from?'. Everyone wants to be my shrink, now."

Drake mentally chided himself for his earlier comments. "I'm sorry about that, I just…you pushed the wrong button, today. Truce?" He held out a hand, but she didn't take it.

"He texted me again." She spoke without taking her eyes off the tank. She had her eye on a greenish sea horse anchored closely to its plant. It hadn't moved since they'd gotten to the room, and she wondered if it was dead.

Drake cleared his throat. "Was it another threat?" he watched Kiley's face for a reaction, but there was none.

"No. He woke me up this morning, like he used to. It started as your typical 'hey beautiful'." She paused, and bit her lip. "I didn't answer, though. I don't know what to say to him. I still love him but…" she put a finger to the glass and traced the shapes of the sea horses. They were so lucky, living in their turquoise world, where everything was simple. The other fish either wanted to eat you or escape you – there was no dangerous love that feigned friendship, then ate you alive.

She pulled her hand away from the glass. "But I know he's only going to hurt me again. And I'm not sure I want that."

She was vulnerable, her voice soft, painful. Drake wasn't sure he wanted to push his luck, but at the same time, he was dying of curiosity. "Hurt you how?"

She kept her eye on the green sea horse. She still hadn't said the words aloud, but they slipped from her lips easily, as though they'd been dying to for all these months. She knew, or course, that they had – it was killing her to keep this in. "Hit me." Her voice took on an angriness, a bitter tone that got more intense with each word. "Slap me, call me a bitch, or a whore, or a worthless piece of shit. Punch me, leave me stranded on the side of the road–"

Drake turned to face her completely. "He did _what_?"

Kiley turned to him, her eyes full of tears. "That's how they found out. There was finally a night where he got so mad he kicked me out of the car. I was trying to hitch a ride home when a cop found me. He called my mom, and she came and got me. It was raining all night, and I'd been out there for hours…she insisted I go to the hospital to be examined. They found all the bruises, and even though I never gave him in…they knew." She turned to face the sea horse again.

Drake was dumbfounded. "Kiley, I'm…I'm really sorry that you had to go through all that."

She shrugged. "It happens all the time. 10% of teen relationships are abusive – I'm just one of those girls, and at least _I _lived to tell the tale."

Drake shook his head. "But that doesn't make what that asshole did to you okay. He should be behind bars!"

She shrugged again. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'll never see him again." He could hear a sadness as she said this, almost as if she _wanted _to see that dildo again.

"After all he put you through….really, Kiley? Could you ever _want _to see him?" He shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets. She was crazy, absolutely crazy.

Kiley turned to him again. "Drake, you don't get it. It's not as simple as it seems. You don't just stop loving someone when they hurt you. Sometimes…I don't know. I'd make excuses for him, or I'd forget what had happened, or I'd figure that it was my fault. I loved Alan before he hurt me, and when he started to….I don't know."

"We're closing up, now." Both turned to see a vested aquarium worker, a patient smile on her face.

"Alright." Kiley waved goodbye to the sea horses, and the two began their way out of the building. At the exit, Drake pointed to his car and led her over to it, his hand on the small of her back. He couldn't help but feel slightly protective of her, after knowing how badly she'd been treated.

"So, no mean texts today?" He asked once they were in the safety of his car.

Kiley shook her head. "I never said that. They _started _nice, but when I didn't respond, it turned into the typical death threats, and all. Drake, he knows I'm here, and he might not be here yet, but …I feel like he wouldn't stop at much. I don't want to press charges, I don't want to see him again, either…I just don't want to deal with any of it. I love him, but if we can't be together without him hurting me, I just don't want to deal with him at all."

"Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be that easy for you. You've gotta stand up for yourself…you can't keep taking this shit from him. I hate to say it this way, but no guy is going to want to be with a girl who's still be threatened by an old ex…a girl who still _lets _her old ex threaten her."

She scowled at him. "Getting boys is the least of my worries. And I don't _let _him do this shit to me. It's not like I'm asking for it."

Drake gave her as meaningful a look as he could while still maintaining control of the car. "Eventually, Kiley, you're going to want to date again. And guys will do whatever you let them get away with. I'm not saying his threats are your fault, but if you don't stand up for yourself-"

In a split second, she had turned vicious again. "Oh, and I suppose him hitting me was my fault, too? Go ahead and say it, Drake. Tell me he wouldn't have done it if I didn't let him. Tell me what a sick fucking puppy I am."

Drake surprised himself with his calmness. "That's not what I'm saying at all. This isn't your fault, but-"

She was livid, completely out of control. She hated the fact that now her blood was boiling, tears pricked her eyes, and she was unable to stop the torrent of words that spewed from her cruel mouth. "But if I didn't take it, he would have stopped. I could have called the police, I could have told someone, I could have left, but I _didn't._ I stayed with him like a sick puppy and I let him abuse me and _I did this to myself._ Go ahead, say it, Drake – everyone's thinking it. Tell me I'm a sick fuck, that I need help. Tell me I got what I deserved for being such a doormat."

She was screaming. She had gone absolutely nuts, and now there was nothing to stop the frustrated, bitter tears that poured down her face. They weren't even near home, but Drake pulled over to the side of the road – he wasn't about to crack his car up helping her.

Of course, the second the car stopped she turned to flee, embarrassed now of the tears and the soreness of her throat from all the screaming. As her hand flitted to release the seatbelt, Drake caught her wrist.

"Oh, no, you don't. I'm not leaving you on the side of the highway." He grabbed her other wrist for safe measure, ignoring the way she fought him, trying to twist out of his grip.

"Let me _go_." She was so embarrassed of the sobbing, but she couldn't seem to reign it in. She wanted him to leave her alone in her misery, but he wouldn't loosen his grip on her.

"Kiley, listen to me. " He tried to look her in the eye, but she kept her head bent down. "Hey, are you listening? _This is not your fault._ There is nothing you did to deserve what Alan did to you. You loved him…and we trust the ones we love not to take advantage of the pieces of ourselves that we give them. You're not the sick fuck, he is. But you're not alone in this, anymore, and you don't have to be afraid, or fight him yourself. No one expects that of you."

She didn't say anything, just continued to sob. She knew, of course, that he was right, but she felt completely broken. She'd taken Alan's abuse for a year – what would she let the next man get away with? In her silence, she'd not only lost faith in men, she'd lost faith in herself. All the friends in the world couldn't protect her from what she would let someone else do to her.

Drake was shaking, and he couldn't quite figure out why. This was the most real moment he'd ever experienced – Kiley's raw emotion, his own anger, frustration and compassion mixing together to form this strong, certain voice. He'd never even known he was capable of this. Sure, he'd had to put on the macho bravado a few times, when dealing with his friends' issues – all those suicide contemplations and drug overdoses that seem to come with the teenage turf – but this was something else. He wanted to rip Alan's face apart, he wanted to keep Kiley safe, and most of all he wanted to show her the kind of love that she deserved.

"If I let you go, will you stay in the car?" He asked quietly. He was suddenly exhausted. Kiley nodded, and he released her wrists. Her hands flew to her face, covering her shame as more sobs tore from her throat. Drake released his seatbelt and scooted closer. Gingerly, at first, he put his arms around her. When she didn't fight him off, he wrapped them tighter around her.

"Hey. It's gonna be alright. I promise you, everything's going to be alright." Kily shivered at his voice in her ear, but she stayed where she was, head against his chest. It was the first time she'd felt okay in months, and she wasn't eager for it to end.

* * *

"Hey mom, did Drake and Kiley ever get back?" Josh called as he came in through the front door. After dinner, the family had gone for ice cream. He and Mindy had stayed for a walk through the park, but were now home to hang out for a few hours before they parted for the evening.

"Shh….yeah." Audrey whispered, poking her head in from the kitchen.

Josh frowned. "Why are we whispering?" He whispered.

Audrey smiled. "They got back soon after we came home from the ice cream parlor, ate dinner, and went to watch TV…they're passed out on the couch in the living room. She really must have led him on a wild goose chase."

Josh took Mindy's hand and tiptoed into the living room. Sure enough, Drake and Kiley were fast asleep on the couch, covered in an afghan Josh recognized from the foot of Audrey and Walter's bed – she must have covered them. The two were still in a mostly-sitting position, but Drake had his arms tightly around Kiley, and her head and hand rested on his chest.

Josh elbowed Mindy, grinning. "They look cute together." He whispered. His face took on a more serious look. "You know, I think Kiley could be really good for Drake. He really seems to care about her, and she's making him work for her affection."

Mindy glanced at the kitchen to make sure Audrey wasn't listening. Assured, she scowled at Josh "Sure, but Drake's no good for Kiley. I told you, the last thing she needs is another guy to mistreat her."

Josh frowned and shook his head. "Mindy, you're really underestimating Drake. I know he's kind of a player, but he's really starting to grow up – and like I said, he _really _cares about Kiley. I mean, he's writing a song about her and everything."

Mindy laughed bitterly. "Oh, right, like that makes it okay? Josh, I don't care what's good for Drake. He's a piece of garbage, and he doesn't _deserve _to date a Crenshaw. Kiley's better than this."

Josh's frown deepened. Was this really what Mindy thought of his family? "Mindy, Drake is my brother. I know you've had your differences, but it really bothers me that you can't cut him a break. Is it always going to be like this? Are you going to fight me on having him be my best man at our wedding?"

Mindy shook her head. Her stomach went cold and suddenly, it felt as though everything was falling apart. "What are you saying, Josh? That we can't be together if I don't learn to like Drake?"

Josh shrugged. His insides were ripping apart, but at the same time, it was important to him to stand up for Drake. "Mindy, he's family. Drake got over us dating because he's my brother and he wants me to be happy. He's not just my brother, he's my best friend, and he's going to be a part of my life if you like it or not. So I guess….I guess I'm saying you should learn to like it, if you want this to work out."

Mindy glanced back at her cousin, snug in the charms of the snake, and then back at Josh, who had committed what, in her eyes, was the ultimate betrayal. "Well then…maybe this isn't going to work out." She said cooly. "I'll bring your things by later this week." She turned on her heels and left. It wasn't until she had turned off his street, safe in her car that she began to cry.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N** : Ack! So sorry for the delay – I had finals, and then the whole moving-home-for-summer process. I'm home now, so updates should be more regular.

"I can't believe she just _dumped _me." Josh said. He was sitting at the edge of his bed, contemplating the lameness of his first Friday night without Mindy. He wasn't sure what he was going to do – it was another cocktail party night, and he'd been set to go with Mindy. He even had a shirt ready to match the power-blue dress she would wear.

He'd been so sure that she would call him on Wednesday to apologize. When she didn't call Thursday, he called her, but she wouldn't answer. Today he tried stopping by her house to talk, but she wouldn't come to the door, and refused to take his calls. He wasn't sure what to do. He was glad he'd put his foot down, and he was not about to take back what he'd said. At the same time, he really missed Mindy.

"I can't believe you chose me over her. Especially now that you know the joy of sexual relations." Drake strummed a few chords. Kiley wouldn't be at his show tonight, but he'd be playing a few songs from what he had come to think of as 'her' track list – a list of songs, albeit cover songs, that described how he felt about her. He wasn't planning on telling her any time soon, but it was getting hard to keep his feelings to himself. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her, and he needed to let it out somehow – so he was using the Beatles and a few other bands to get it out of his system.

Josh shrugged. "You're my brother, Drake. Plus, you and Kiley deserve to be happy."

Drake looked up at his brother. "Me and Kiley are, sadly, not an item. As much as it pains me to say this, she's not in the market for a boyfriend."

Josh watched Drake fooling around with his guitar. He definitely had 'special feelings' for Kiley. If this were any other girl, he would have at least tried to get a kiss, a make out, a cheap hook-up from her. As much as Josh hated to say it, Kiley seemed like the type of girl who, in a weak moment like the other night on the couch, might have let Drake have his way with her. The fact that Drake refused to take advantage of Kiley's weaknesses showed a caring Josh hadn't seen in his brother since the long-ago days of Carly, where he waited patiently for her to be ready to lose her virginity. Now, Drake waited again, this time for Kiley to come around to the idea of a relationship. Only, she might never realize it – or might not realize it before she had to go back to Michigan.

"The two of you seemed pretty cozy on the couch the other night." Josh commented. He watched Drake for a reaction.

Drake didn't look up from his guitar. "We were. But it didn't mean anything – she just needed a friend." He couldn't shake the warm feeling that came over him when he thought of her small, wirey form snug in his arms. They had fit so perfectly together, with her head tucked under his chin and his arms so tight around her. He'd woken up a few moments before her, but he didn't dare say anything. The second she woke up, she was a flurry of embarrassment and apologies, not stopping with her nervous chatter until he cooled her down, clarified that it was just 'a friend thing', and let her decide that it was the same as two puppies falling asleep atop one another. He'd never tell her – or anyone, for that matter- that seconds before she woke up he'd let his lips brush against her forehead, in what was not quite a kiss, but not an accident either.

"You've been an awfully good friend to her, Drake. I mean…that's kind of why I had to stand up for you, with Mindy. Because you're doing right by Kiley, and it shows me that you really are a good person." Josh choked a little on Mindy's name.

Drake, picking up on Josh's hesitation, set down the guitar. "Okay, man. You're coming to my show tonight, no ifs ands or buts about it. I'm sick of watching you mope around." He went to his closet and started looking for something to wear.

"I guess, yeah. I mean, it's not like I have anything better to do." Josh commented.

Drake glared at him from his place at the closet. "And you're not going to bring your sick puppy attitude. Okay?"

Josh sighed. "I'll try."

"Kiley, can I borrow your gold dress?" Mindy asked. Kiley looked her cousin over – she'd gone a bit heavy on the make-up, and done her hair up in a way that made her face look almost sharp.

"Sure, but aren't there rules about wearing dresses over? Aren't we supposed to just throw clothes out when we're done?" Kiley responded. She was already dressed in the sage green dress, with her hair pulled up. She finally didn't have to worry about hiding her bruises, so she was going without a jacket, for the first time. She searched her jewelry box for the right pair of earrings.

"Typically, I'd come up with a witty response, but I really just want you to help me lot _hot _tonight. I'm not as good at this sexy thing as you are."

Kiley laughed from where she stood at the mirror, hooking in a pair of earrings with peridots hanging at the end of a thin silver chain. She fastened a matching necklace around her throat. "I don't know that I'm an expert on sexuality, or anything, dearie, but I'll help."

She turned to Mindy, who had already slipped on the gold dress. Mindy's pale skin didn't light up the same way Kiley's bronze tones did, but she still looked good. She had more cleavage to show off, in any case.

"Do you want the jacket?" Kiley asked. Mindy shook her head 'no', and came over to Kiley's dresser.

"Where's the red lipstick you wore with this? And that super smokey, seductive eye shadow?"

Kiley laughed again at her cousin. "Do you want me to just do your make-up for you?"

Mindy nodded. "Yes, that would be helpful."

Kiley set to work painting her cousin's face to be smokey, mysterious and seductive. "Can I ask why you're so hell-bent on being a sex goddess tonight?" She queried as she worked on Mindy's eyes.

Mindy sighed. "I never get to be the hot one. I'm the smart one, the chaste on, the put together one. I guess when you're with someone for as long as Josh and I have been together, you get used to being what they expect you to be. I thought having sex with Josh would make me sexy in his eyes, but it didn't. I mean, he thought I was beautiful, but…" She paused. "In any case, I'm seeing this break-up as a chance to explore my options, to be who I want. I want to be sexy, mysterious – the kind of girl guys pant over. Like you. I'm sick of being the brain."

Kiley shook her head at her cousin's ignorance. "Mindy, you don't want that kind of attention. Boys are just going to want to be with you for a quick piece of ass. And you and Josh just broke up. Do you really think it's over for good?"

"I'm pretty sure it is over for good, Kiley. Josh blatantly said that Drake is more important to him than I am, and I'm not willing to come second to that – that – _miscreant._" She huffed, blowing a few stray hairs up and out of her face.

Kiley rolled her eyes at her cousin's bravado. "Oh, Drake's not that bad." She sang, tucking away the fly-away hairs. She let her mind linger for just a second on the tingliness she'd felt waking up in his arms, before her guilt got the best of her. Yes, it was nice to be touched by a boy, but she didn't want to play with Drake's emotions. She was pretty sure he liked her, and she didn't have feelings for him. It was best not to lead him on. Still, it _had _been nice to be so close to someone, especially someone who smelled as good as Drake, and had such a firm, tight grip on her.

Mindy scowled. "He's the devil, Kiley. You need to stop hanging out with him so much – he's no good, and he's just going to charm your panties off and leave you crying, like every other girl." She tried to meet Kiley's eyes, but her cousin was busy fixing her make-up. "And especially now that Josh and I are broken up. You hanging out with that family is like stabbing me in the back."

Kiley chose not to respond to this. She didn't mention that Mindy had been perfectly okay with abandoning her cousin during her time of need to go off and screw Josh, or that Drake had been the one to comfort her in more than once occasion. She had no intention of staying away from Drake _or _Josh – she just wasn't going to make a scene about it.

"Girls, are you ready?" Melinda poked her head in. She wore an elegant evening gown, probably a bit too dressy for a cocktail party. Yet again, though, the adults had plans for an after-party – some sort of concert that started at nine, meaning that almost half of the cocktail party would be just teenagers. Kiley wasn't thrilled, but she figured she would have to keep an eye on her cousin.

"Yes." Kiley responded. She wiped away the excess of Mindy's make-up and backed away, grabbing her clutch. She could feel her phone vibrating through the small purse, but decided not to answer until she was safe inside the car.

She didn't have a chance to check her phone, though, because as soon as they were in the car, Mindy was going on and on about this-and-that – all the boys who would be there, all the after-parties she thought might be interesting. It bothered Kiley – no way could Mindy actually feel this way, it was all a big show. The fact that her cousin had never been so interested in boys or parties did not seem to faze Melinda, but Kiley could see why – Mindy's socialite parents always seemed to believe their daughter should be more popular.

As per usual, Mindy's parents split off at the country club, leaving the two girls to themselves. Kiley swiped a crab puff from one of the caterers, while Mindy glanced into the room with the DJ. The dance floor was packed with kids dressed for a long, eventful night. A few wary caterers circled the outskirts of the room with trays of crab puffs and spinach phyllo. Mindy hesitated in the door way. It had been a long time since she'd been to one of these cocktail parties without Josh. Before him, it had seemed as though she was an outsider, and did not belong here at all with these people. Once she and Josh began dating, though, she found common ground. She was a teen dating another teen, just like all of them. Josh got along very well with others, too, so he made it easier for her to find things to talk about.

She couldn't be dependant forever. Without another Josh-related thought, she pushed herself into the room, and stalked onto the dance floor. Kiley watched in horror as her cousin grabbed the hand of the first guy she saw, tugged him onto the dance floor, and began grinding against him.

"Dear god." She murmured to herself. "She's going to humiliate herself." Indeed, Mindy's dancing left much to be desired. The boy pressed against her didn't seem to mind, though. Kiley turned away and headed into the main room in search of some phyllo.

As she entered the largely adult-occupied room, her phone vibrated again, and she remembered the text from before. She grabbed her phone and opened the first text. It was, as she had suspected, from Alan.

**I hope you're not with any other guys tonight, Kiles. I'm coming soon, and I will find you – you better hope I find you alone.**

She shivered despite the humidity of the room. Alan had been threatening to hunt her down for so long that she was almost used to it, but every now and again, he sent a text that seemed too sincere to ignore. Maybe he wouldn't find her, maybe he wasn't coming. What if he was, though? He'd be livid. He'd be angrier than she'd ever seen him, angrier than the time –

_"Who is he?" Alan's voice was low and growling as Kiley stepped into his basement. It seemed like most of their altercations happened in his subterranean lair, while his parents were in their room, sound asleep._

_ "An old family friend. I told him I didn't need a ride, but he insisted. I couldn't turn him down…he was just trying to be nice. Really." Her words came out too quickly, too breathy, as though she were nervous. She __**was**__ nervous. With every work his blue eyes grew more distant, further away from her and the reach of logic. She knew he was furious, but she hadn't known what else to do. If she refused Nate's offer, wouldn't he figure something was wrong? Wouldn't he tell her mom? And if he told her mom, they would all find out, and they would take Alan away from her. How could she explain that she was protecting him?_

_ "You lying whore." In one swift movement, he'd backhanded her. The pain exploded across the side of her face. She knew better than to resist, that it was better to let her muscles relax. She flinched, though, and earned herself another smack._

_ "Alan, please. Just listen, it's not how you think-" Another hit, this time on the other side of her face. She let herself fall to the floor, inching away from him. She should have known better than to argue._

_ "Stop lying to me! Tell me what you did with him! Tell me how you fucked him, you fucking whore!" He kicked her, his toes making contact with the soft flesh of her stomach. She curled tighter, and the next kick caught her shin. Her protecting herself only seemed to make him angrier and he kicked harder, this time making contact with her knee._

_ She cried out sharply. She was crying, sobbing there on the floor. She didn't know what to do. It seemed like no matter what she did, her actions enraged him. If she fought, he fought harder, if she protected himself he kicked harder. If she just lay there and took it, he'd continue to go until…until what? Would he kick her until she died?_

_ "You're killing me." She said softly. Perhaps her organs were bleeding, perhaps she really was dying. Despite any physical ailments, she knew it was true in a deeper, more important sense. She had lost everything that made her human. She'd given him her heart and all her love, and now he took her dignity, her self-worth. She tried most days to feel nothing at all, in order to avoid the aching in her, or the fear that her face held the wrong expression, the one that would make him angry. She'd taught herself not to fight, not to defend herself. She wasn't even a person, anymore. She wasn't anything._

_ "You make me do this, Kiley." He got down on his knees and picked up her limp body. She melted like butter into him; he held her close. He kissed her tears, and she felt the moisture on his face, the sweat, or the tears, or maybe her own tears pressed back against her. She didn't know, she wasn't sure. She could barely tell his hands from her bruises, her body was just a mash-up of sensations she was trying to forget._

_ "I love you, Kiley. You drive me fucking crazy, but I love you." He laughed like it was funny and kissed her face, her neck. He began to peel off her clothes and kiss her, as though to soothe all the wounds he'd just made._

_ She said nothing; she did nothing. He undressed her and fucked her, and she lay there, taking it silently in the same way she'd taken his abuse. The first time they'd done this, she'd gleefully called it 'making love'. Now, she wasn't sure what to call it._

Kiley's eyelids fluttered, and she quickly opened the next message. No use getting upset here in the middle of a party.

**Hey, it's Drake. Josh is really bummed about Mindy. Between you and me, what do you think the chances of a make-up are?**

How had Drake gotten her number? It took her a moment before she remembered him taking her phone. He must have gotten it then.

She grabbed a few pieces of phyllo off a passing tray before texting back.

**Currently, she's grinding against some guy. So…I guess there's a possibility?**

She started toward the dance room again, and poked her head in. Mindy was with a different guy, whose hand was definitely on her ass. Kiley gagged a little.

**Mindy's grinding? I've got to see this.**

Kiley sighed. She'd much rather be hanging out with Drake right now, than at this lame party. It wasn't like she had any interesting in doing into the dance room and having some guy press his junk against her ass, then act like she owed him something for the favor.

**So come see it.** She answered. She knew Drake probably had much more important thing to do, than come to her cocktail party but the thought of a familiar face was inviting.

So, she was surprised when she received a text back. **Okay, be there in 10. But don't tell Mindy I'm coming – I'd like to surprise her.**

Drake wiped his hands on his jeans. What the fuck was he so nervous about? He and Kiley were just friends, and he'd been in the country club at least a dozen times – sure, half of the time it was after hours with the summer lifeguard, but it still counted, right?

_What am I doing here?_ He asked himself. He was supposed to go on in an hour. He really didn't have the time to be driving over to the country club to see Kiley under the pretenses of Mindy's terrible dancing. He'd started to fear, though, that with everyone's favorite couple all broken up, he and Kiley would never see one another again. They didn't have the kind of friendship where he could just invite her over to hang out, or out to ice cream, and he wasn't sure how to start one.

He slid out of the car and started toward the country club. After a moment his nerves began to subside, and he was able to stride confidently into the country club…where he was stopped at coat check.

"Sir, I don't see your name on this list. Do you perhaps have your member's card?" The stiff man in the tux blocked Drake's way as politely as one can block the way of another.

"I'm here to see Kiley. She uh…she invited me." He smiled, but the guy wasn't buying it.

"He's with me." Kiley appeared from behind the man, taking Drake's wrist and smiling at the stiff. She pulled him into another room laughing.

"Jeez, your timing is a little off, kid. He was ready to kick me out." Drake said, exasperated. He took a few crab puffs off a passing tray. "And don't they have shrimp and cocktail sauce? I thought this was a cocktail party."

Kiley laughed and grabbed a glass of wine off of a passing tray. Drake was a little surprised at her brazenness, but followed her lead. The caterer didn't seem to notice.

"If you think about it, my timing was perfect. You're not kicked out, are you?" She smiled, and looked him up and down. "So what are you up to tonight? You look pretty snazzy."

Drake grinned. He felt pretty awesome now that he was here, the most good-looking guy in the room, well-dressed and talking to the prettiest girl. "I have a gig tonight. And you look pretty great yourself….that color looks really nice on you." He felt strange – he'd never paid a girl a compliment other than 'that shirt looks great on you…but it would look better on my floor'.

Kiley shrugged. "Right. So, you wanted to see Mindy?" She took his wrist and led him to the dance room, but she couldn't see Mindy. "Dammit, we're actually going to have to go in that mess."

Drake grinned. "Well, okay, Kiley, I'd love to dance." He twisted his wrist so _he _was holding on to _her_, and pulled her onto the dance floor.

"That's not exactly what I meant." Kiley responded, but her voice was lost in the crowd. Soon Drake had her in the middle of the floor and really, what choice did she have? She danced with him.

Drake had to try not to grin too much. The crown kept pressing Kiley closer, first so that he could feel the warmth of her body and then, so that their bodies were pressed together. She'd lost herself to the music and didn't seem to mind the way their groins were so close, or the way her breasts pressed against his chest. Truth be told, she didn't even seem to notice. Drake, though, had to stay focused to do anything _but _notice.

At last Kiley spotted a glinting out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see Mindy. Her hair was mussed, her lipstick smeared, and she was grinding with a completely different guy this time.

"Well, there the spectacle is." Kiley said, pointing to her cousin. Drake followed her finger and, upon seeing Mindy, began cackling.

"She's wearing your gold dress?" He asked, still chuckling. Mindy wasn't the best dancer – her movements were jagged, awkward. She seemed as though she was trying to look sexy and care-free, but even the way she played with her hair seemed fabricated. She could wear her cousin's dress, but she would never be as sexy as Kiley was, on the days where she really let herself go.

"Yeah, she wanted to borrow it." Kiley answered. She tried not to notice Drake's hands on her hips, pulling her closer as subtly as he could.

"She doesn't look half as good in it as you did." Drake said matter-of-factly. Kiley blushed, and tried to think of something else. It always became uncomfortable for her when Drake started the flirtatious crap. The last thing she needed was another guy. Plus, Drake was pretty much the only friend she had here.

"So, Josh really misses her, huh? Would he like, die if he knew about this?" Kiley indicated her cousin, who let out a shrill giggle.

Drake winced. Did she realize how _unattractive _her dancing was? "Probably. Can you swear you won't say anything to him?"

Kiley nodded.

Drake glanced again at Mindy and frowned. "I really don't get it. I've never seen her act like this before. It's…"

"Bizarre." Kiley finished for him. "My cousin is not a sex goddess, or a slut, or even the kind of girl guys drool after, but that's what she wants now. She doesn't realize that all of the attention doesn't mean anything."

"It doesn't?" Drake asked. He knew Kiley had to get plenty of attention – she was beautiful.

"Not really. I mean, of course there's the whole, 'it's so shallow to want me because I'm pretty and not bother to get to know me' thing, but it's more than that. When guys think you're hot, they don't even bother with the niceties; they just put on their game and try their hardest to nail you. I don't want to be another conquest, I don't want to play stupid flirtation games because I think you're cute and you think I'm cute, and all beautiful people should be together. Attraction should be more than that."

Now Drake was more than confused. Wasn't attraction finding someone attractive? "Okay, so what should it be, then?"

Kiley looked heaven-ward. "It should be about the person altogether. Like, with Alan. He was hot, sure…but that wasn't all. He had the best smile, and this long, loping walk, and the way he would say things – and the things he would say – he just…he set me on _fire_. I couldn't fight my feelings, I couldn't keep myself away. Even when….well, even when things were bad."

Drake winced. "Can we talk about someone who isn't a fucking asshole?"

Kiley sighed. "Yeah, okay. Like…say someone was attracted to you. It wouldn't be just about your dashing good looks." She paused, making a face at Drake's cocky grin. "It would be about the way you carry yourself, the way you fingers glide over the guitar strings, the way you use every muscle in your hands when you touch something, so careful to only exert the perfect amount of pressure, like everything you touch is an instrument. It would be about how casual you can be, but then when something really matters to you, you're just an explosion of emotion. Maybe not all of it would be focused on your 'insides', but all of it would be things that make you unique, things that are essentially 'Drake', things that can't be copied or reinvented. True attraction would make you irreplaceable to that person, not just another pretty face."

Drake stared at Kiley for a moment. She had, of course, just described him perfectly, as though she'd been watching, as though even now she was noticing the gentle pressure he applied at the small of her back, pulling her closer as softly as he could. Could she feel the spark, too? Was it really something that palpable, not just in his head, but between them, within them?

He was magnetized by her, drawn to everything about her – the sly glances she threw over her shoulder, the way she was built so perfectly but still flat-chested, the way she walked with more confidence than she voiced. He loved how she wanted to know things about him, real things that delved deeper than school and work and histories, but the inner workings, all the little mechanical bits that made him tick. She was not just another pretty face in his harem of forgotten women, but the kind of girl who was completely irreplaceable, the kind of girl he would pine for when the summer ended and she left for Michigan.

The kind of girl who he wanted to keep around, not just have his way with.

She let his eyes connect with hers for a lingering moment before turning away, and he was thirsty for her, craved the kiss he coveted – had been coveting – from those soft, supple-looking lips. Her wirey body had the perfect amount of give in his hands and he pulled her closer, noting the lack of resistance.

Kiley let herself be pulled. She knew that this wasn't okay and in a minute – any minute now – she would pull away, would resist the charmer and his delicious eyes. For this moment, though, she reveled in Drake's body pressed close to hers, his hands hungrily on her hips. She could feel him holding himself back, trying to keep from crushing her or running his hands over the planes of her form.

"Kiley? What the hell is he doing here?" The two broke from their trance to see an indignant Mindy, face mussed and neck sporting a rather large hickey.

"I invited him." Kiley said matter-of-factly, noting with a small smile the respectful distance Drake had put between their bodies.

"I'm her date." Drake chimed in, smiling at Mindy.

Mindy glanced back at the guy she'd been dancing with, who was now pressed against another girl.

"Well, Kiley, if that's what you want, fine." She glared at her cousin, then looked back at Drake. "And tell your brother I've had more fun without him than we ever had together." Kiley could see that the second Mindy said it, she questioned whether or not she meant it – did she really want to drive the stake further into the heart of her relationship with Josh? But Mindy marched off then, and Kiley turned back to Drake.

"It's going to be one hell of a night. I think I'm going to have to follow her around, just to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. I'll probably be out all night at different after-parties, just trying to keep her from doing anything too dumb."

Drake nodded. "Well, I should go soon – gotta play that show – but if you text me where you're at, I can come keep you company."

Kiley smiled. "That would be great, actually."

Drake grinned. "Alright then – I'll see you later, Kiley."

"Wait, Drake. Why can't I come?" Josh asked, packing away his video camera. He taped most of Drake's gigs – Drake thought it was stupid, but Josh swore that it might come in handy, should a producer ever want to see how Drake handled stage performances.

Drake glanced at his brother. "Because, man. Mindy's going to be there, and Kiley's not looking for drama. Look, she asked me to come, and I'm going to be there…she just asked that I not bring you, so there's no trouble."

Josh sighed. He _did_ want to see Mindy, but at the same time, he wondered if maybe their relationship was really over. They'd been through this once before – seeing other people, taking a break – but hadn't been able to keep their hands off each other for long. Maybe the physical aspects of their relationship were clouding his judgments. Would he miss her so much if they hadn't been having sex? Did he miss Mindy more, or the way her body felt against his, the way her kisses felt on his lips? If they hadn't been so physical, would they have fallen apart sooner?

He wasn't in a hurry to get back with her. He missed her, but he'd also missed his pet turtle when it died, and his old home when he moved, and even the rude woman down the street whose dog constantly crapped in his yard when _she _had moved. Did missing Mindy really prove that there were feelings there?

This was big news for Drake, though, so Josh swallowed his thoughts, if only for the moment. "She asked you to come? And you're sure she's not falling for you?"

Drake groaned. Every time Josh mentioned the possibility of Kiley and he getting together, a part of him died. It would never happen, and it killed to constantly have it dangled above his head.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now, I've got to get over to Phil's after party. I guess I'll drop you off at the house?"

Josh shook his head. "No. I want to come to the afterparty."

Drake sighed. "Man, I told Kiley you wouldn't be there. She's going to think I'm a liar."

Josh bit his lip. He could almost see where Drake was coming from but, at the same time, he wanted to see Mindy, even if they didn't speak. He wanted to know if she was still upset, or if she had already moved on. It was just a matter of seeing her one last time – closure.

"Drake, I pretty much broke up with Mindy over you. You're not even dating Kiley, and you're going to forsake your brother for her?"

Drake looked into the sad blue eyes, and tried to glance away. Josh stuck out a bottom lip like a child, and there wasn't much Drake could do to resist his step-brother's plea.

"Fine. But if you fuck things up tonight…" He started.

Josh headed outside. "I know, I know," he called to Drake, who trailed behind. "You'll beat me to a bloody pulp, and all that stuff."

The two clambered into the car and set off to Phil's, both unsure of what they would find there.


End file.
